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Variates

Variates are characteristics of each unit in the population and can take numerical or categorical values. The values of variates typically differ from unit to unit.

The primary variate of interest, which we call the response variate, is the speed of the light associated with each such transmission. There are many other variates, which we call explanatory variates attached to each unit such as the distance between the two points, the motion of the points with respect to each other, properties of the source and so on. In Michelson's problem, he has no direct interest in these other variates.



2000-05-24