Least-Squares Fitting Algorithms of the NIST Algorithm Testing System

Abstract

This report describes algorithms for fitting certain curves and surfaces to points in three dimensions. All fits are based on orthogonal distance regression. The algorithms were developed as reference software for the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Algorithm Testing System, which has been used for 5 years by NIST and by members of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' B89.4.10 standards committee. The Algorithm Testing System itself is described only briefly; the main part of this paper covers the general linear algebra, numerical analysis, and optimization methods it employs. Most of the fitting routines rely on the Levenberg-Marquardt optimization routine.