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Logarithmic regression in Google Sheets can be performed by entering the data into the sheet, selecting the data, and then clicking on the chart option. Then select the type of graph as scatter plot and select the desired equation (logarithmic) from the trendline options. This will generate a logarithmic regression line for the data. To find the equation of the line, click on the trendline and select “Edit Trendline”. The equation of the line will be shown in the pop-up window. Finally, the equation can be used to predict values of the dependent variable based on the values of the independent variable.
Logarithmic regression is a type of regression used to model situations where growth or decay accelerates rapidly at first and then slows over time.
For example, the following plot demonstrates an example of logarithmic decay:
For this type of situation, the relationship between a predictor variable and a could be modeled well using logarithmic regression.
The equation of a logarithmic regression model takes the following form:
y = a + b*ln(x)
where:
- y: The response variable
- x: The predictor variable
- a, b: The regression coefficients that describe the relationship between x and y
The following step-by-step example shows how to perform logarithmic regression in Google Sheets.
Step 1: Create the Data
First, let’s create some fake data for two variables: x and y:
Step 2: Take the Natural Log of the Predictor Variable
Next, we need to create a new column that represents the natural log of the predictor variable x:
Step 3: Fit the Logarithmic Regression Model
Next, we’ll fit the logarithmic regression model.
=LINEST(B2:B16, C2:C16)
Once you press Enter, the coefficients of the logarithmic regression model will be shown:
Using the coefficients from the output, we can see that the fitted logarithmic regression equation is:
y = 63.0686 – 20.1987 * ln(x)
We can use this equation to predict the response variable, y, based on the value of the predictor variable, x.
For example, if x = 12, then we would predict that y would be 12.87:
y = 63.0686 – 20.1987 * ln(12) = 12.87
Bonus: Feel free to use this online to automatically compute the logarithmic regression equation for a given predictor and response variable.