A free parameter is a variable in a
mathematical model
A mathematical model is a description of a system using mathematical concepts and language. The process of developing a mathematical model is termed mathematical modeling. Mathematical models are used in the natural sciences (such as physics, ...
which cannot be predicted precisely or constrained by the model and must be
estimated experimentally or theoretically. A mathematical model, theory, or
conjecture
In mathematics, a conjecture is a conclusion or a proposition that is proffered on a tentative basis without proof. Some conjectures, such as the Riemann hypothesis (still a conjecture) or Fermat's Last Theorem (a conjecture until proven in 19 ...
is more likely to be right and less likely to be the product of
wishful thinking if it relies on few free parameters and is consistent with large amounts of data.
See also
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Decision variables
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Exogenous variables
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Random variable
A random variable (also called random quantity, aleatory variable, or stochastic variable) is a mathematical formalization of a quantity or object which depends on random events. It is a mapping or a function from possible outcomes (e.g., the po ...
s
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State variables
References
Philosophy of science
Scientific method
Ignorance
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