What is the primary goal of a regression analysis?

The primary goal of regression analysis is to predict numerical outcomes based on input variables. This statistical method models the relationship between a dependent variable, which is typically continuous and numeric, and one or more independent variables that can also be numeric or categorical. By establishing this relationship, regression analysis enables us to make forecasts about the dependent variable, which is crucial in various fields like finance, economics, and social sciences.

In the context of regression, the analysis produces a mathematical equation that represents the relationship between the input variables and the predicted output. For example, in a simple linear regression scenario, this relationship can often be represented as a straight line on a graph, where the slope indicates how changes in the independent variable affect the dependent variable.

While other options involve analyzing or visualizing data, the unique aspect of regression analysis is its focus on prediction and estimating numerical outcomes rather than simply categorizing data, analyzing distributions, or visualizing relationships.