Smoothing Parameter

A smoothing parameter is a value used in statistical modeling to control how closely a model fits the data. Imagine it as a knob that balances between overfitting (where the model captures every noise) and underfitting (where the model is too simple to capture the true patterns). Adjusting this parameter helps create a model that generalizes well to new data. In essence, it determines the level of "smoothness" or simplicity in the model's predictions, ensuring they are neither too jagged nor too generalized.