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A categorical variable takes values in a finite or countable set of labels. A regression model usually represents an unordered categorical predictor by indicator variables relative to a reference level in a regression factor.

Write $Y_i$ for the request count on day $i$. Both fits are Poisson regression models with independentIn model 1,where the variables are indicator variables for winter, weekend, bank holiday, and low or medium pollution; non-winter weekdays that are not bank holidays and have high pollution form the baseline. Model 2 imposesretaining only winter and weekend effects.

The models are nested, and the likelihood-ratio test statistic is the decrease in residual deviance,There are three restrictions. By Wilks theorem, under $H_0$ this statistic is asymptotically a chi-squared distribution with three degrees of freedom. Sincewe reject model 2 at the $1\%$ level in favour of model 1.

Kilometres is an ordinal categorical variable: its five levels have a meaningful order. Treating it as an ordinary factor would use four indicator variables and hence four unrelated regression coefficients. Converting the levels to numerical scores instead imposes a single linear trend across successive mileage bands. This is more parsimonious and gives greater precision when that trend is a reasonable approximation, although it also assumes that adjacent levels are equally spaced in their effect.