In the world of data science, it’s not uncommon to be presented with datasets that need to be analyzed and visualized. One of the most important tasks in this process is curve fitting, which involves finding the best curve that represents the data points. 

Fortunately, Python has an excellent library called NumPy, which makes curve fitting a breeze. In this article, we’ll dive into the world of curve fitting in Python using numpy.polyfit() and explore how we can use it to analyze and visualize datasets.

Understanding Curve Fitting

Curve fitting is a statistical method that involves finding the best curve that represents a set of data points. The curve is typically represented by an equation, and the goal is to find the equation that best fits the data points. This process is essential in many fields, including physics, engineering, and economics, where researchers use curve fitting to analyze and interpret data.

In Python, the NumPy library provides a simple and effective way to perform curve fitting. NumPy is a powerful library that offers a wide range of mathematical functions and tools. One of its essential functions is polyfit(), which can be used to perform linear and polynomial curve fitting.

Step 1: Create & Visualize Data

Before we can fit a curve to data using numpy.polyfit(), we first need to create some data and visualize it.

Here’s an example of how to create and plot some data using Python:

				
					import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

# Generate some data
x = np.linspace(0, 10, 100)
y = np.sin(x) + np.random.normal(0, 0.1, 100)

# Plot the data
plt.plot(x, y, 'o')
plt.show()

Output:

Curve Fitting in Python

In this example, we’re generating 100 data points between 0 and 10 using the numpy.linspace() function, and then adding some noise to them using numpy.random.normal(). We then plot the data using matplotlib.pyplot.plot() and the 'o' marker style to show each data point as a circle. Finally, we use matplotlib.pyplot.show() to display the plot.

You can modify the data generation and visualization code according to your specific requirements. Just make sure that you have some data to fit a curve to, and that you’re able to visualize it using matplotlib.pyplot.plot().

Step 2: Fit Several Curves

Once you have generated and visualized your data, the next step is to fit several curves to it using numPy.polyfit().

numPy.polyfit() allows you to fit polynomials of varying degrees to your data. The higher the degree of the polynomial, the more flexible the curve will be, but it may also be more prone to overfitting the data. It’s generally a good idea to try fitting several different degree polynomials to your data and then choose the one that fits the data best.

Here’s an example of how to fit polynomials of degrees 1, 2, and 3 to the data using numpy.polyfit():

				
					import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

# Generate some data
x = np.linspace(0, 10, 100)
y = np.sin(x) + np.random.normal(0, 0.1, 100)

# Fit polynomials of degree 1, 2, and 3 to the data
coeffs1 = np.polyfit(x, y, 1)
coeffs2 = np.polyfit(x, y, 2)
coeffs3 = np.polyfit(x, y, 3)

# Plot the data and the fitted curves
plt.plot(x, y, 'o', label='Data')
plt.plot(x, np.polyval(coeffs1, x), label='Degree 1')
plt.plot(x, np.polyval(coeffs2, x), label='Degree 2')
plt.plot(x, np.polyval(coeffs3, x), label='Degree 3')
plt.legend()
plt.show()

Output:

Curve Fitting in Python

In this example, we’re fitting polynomials of degree 1, 2, and 3 to the data, and storing the coefficients in coeffs1, coeffs2, and coeffs3, respectively. We then use numpy.polyval() to evaluate each polynomial at the x values, and plot the results along with the original data.

Note that in this example we’re using numpy.sin() to generate the data, but you can replace this with any other function or dataset that you’re interested in fitting a curve to. Also, you can try fitting polynomials of higher degrees if you need a more flexible curve. Just be careful not to overfit the data, as this may lead to poor generalization to new data.

Step 3: Visualize the Final Curve

After fitting several curves to your data using numpy.polyfit(), the final step is to choose the best-fitting curve and visualize it alongside the original data.

In order to choose the best-fitting curve, you’ll need to compare the goodness of fit of each curve. One way to do this is by calculating the mean squared error (MSE) between the predicted values of each curve and the actual values of the data. The curve with the lowest MSE is the one that fits the data best.

Here’s an example of how to calculate the MSE and visualize the best-fitting curve:

				
					import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

# Generate some data
x = np.linspace(0, 10, 100)
y = np.sin(x) + np.random.normal(0, 0.1, 100)

# Fit polynomials of degree 1, 2, and 3 to the data
coeffs1 = np.polyfit(x, y, 1)
coeffs2 = np.polyfit(x, y, 2)
coeffs3 = np.polyfit(x, y, 3)

# Calculate the mean squared error of each curve
mse1 = np.mean((np.polyval(coeffs1, x) - y)**2)
mse2 = np.mean((np.polyval(coeffs2, x) - y)**2)
mse3 = np.mean((np.polyval(coeffs3, x) - y)**2)

# Choose the best-fitting curve
if mse1 < mse2 and mse1 < mse3:
    coeffs = coeffs1
elif mse2 < mse3:
    coeffs = coeffs2
else:
    coeffs = coeffs3

# Plot the data and the best-fitting curve
plt.plot(x, y, 'o', label='Data')
plt.plot(x, np.polyval(coeffs, x), label='Best fit')
plt.legend()
plt.show()

Output:

Curve Fitting in Python

In this example, we’re calculating the MSE of each curve using the numpy.mean() function, and then choosing the curve with the lowest MSE using an if-else statement. We’re then plotting the original data and the best-fitting curve using matplotlib.pyplot.plot().

Note that we’re using numpy.sin() to generate the data in this examplenumpy.sin() to generate the data, but you can replace this with any other function or dataset that you’re interested in fitting a curve to. Also, remember that the best-fitting curve may not necessarily be a polynomial, an that there are other curvcurve-fittinghods and models you can explore depending on your specific needs.

Wrap up

To learn more about numpy.polyfit() function, check out the: https://numpy.org/doc/stable/reference/generated/numpy.polyfit.html


Thanks for reading. Happy coding!