Skip to content

GAM without intercept

3 messages · SAEC, anna freni sterrantino, Simon Wood

#
Smooth terms are constrained to sum to zero over the covariate values. 
This is an identifiability constraint designed to avoid confounding with 
the intercept (particularly important if you have more than one smooth). 
If you remove the intercept from you model altogether (m2) then the 
smooth will still sum to zero over the covariate values, which in your 
case will mean that the smooth is quite a long way from the data. When 
you include the intercept (m1) then the intercept is effectively 
shifting the constrained curve up towards the data, and you get a nice fit.

So it's not quite true that m2 has nothing to do with the data. The 
curve you get is as close to the data as a curve constrained to average 
to zero can get.

best,
Simon
On 10/10/12 23:22, SAEC wrote: