Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematical-and-computational-biology-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2024/paper-1/b3/c/solution
Past exam of the mathematical and Computational Biology course of the University of Cambridge 2024 Paper 1 B3 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
Using the paper's named weights , takeThe least-squares normal equations for weighted least squares becomeMultiplying by four gives and . Their determinant is , givingThus, to two significant digits, , with the slope measured in expression units per hour.
There is a wording convention to make explicit. Because the stated objective squares , the choice above gives the final two squared residuals one-quarter of the influence of the others. If “half as much” instead means half the coefficient of each squared residual, use . Then the least-squares normal equations aregiving and . Stating which quantity is halved resolves the ambiguity.
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