likelihood function
nounUK /ˈlaɪklihʊd ˈfʌŋkʃən/
US /ˈlaɪklihʊd ˈfʌŋkʃən/
A math tool that shows how likely different answers are to be the true one.
The scientists used a likelihood function to find the most probable value from their measurements.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In statistics, a function of the parameters of a model given observed data.
The likelihood function peaked at a parameter value of 0.5.
3. A way to compare how well different guesses explain the same evidence.
Comparing likelihood functions helped them choose between two competing theories.
4. The joint probability of observed data viewed as a function of unknown parameters.
They wrote the likelihood function for the whole sample as a product of individual terms.