Full_Name: Charles J. Geyer Version: 1.8.0 OS: i686-pc-linux-gnu (Suse 8.2) Submission from: (NULL) (134.84.86.22)
Two bugs (perhaps related, perhaps independent) revealed by the same Poisson regression with offset mydata <- read.table(url("http://www.stat.umn.edu/geyer/5931/mle/seeds.txt")) out.fubar <- glm(seedlings ~ burn01 + vegtype * burn02 + offset(log(totalseeds)), data = mydata, family = poisson) summary(out.fubar) out.barfu <- glm(seedlings ~ burn01 + vegtype * burn02, offset = log(totalseeds), data = mydata, family = poisson) summary(out.barfu) out.ok <- glm(seedlings ~ vegtype * burn02 + burn01, offset = log(totalseeds), data = mydata, family = poisson) summary(out.ok) As far as I can tell from reading the documentation, these should produce the same results. They don't. The regression coefficient for the offset term in the first (fubar) regression is bogus. That's not what offset() is supposed to do. Note that offset() works properly in out <- glm(seedlings ~ vegtype + burn01 + burn02 + offset(log(totalseeds)), data = mydata, family = poisson) summary(out) So is is only partially bogus -- very dangerous for users that are less than hyperalert. The difference between out.barfu and out.ok shows that "+" in formulas is noncommutative, which is very mind bending. The regression in out.ok is o. k. It checks by hand. For a more complete explanation (if more is wanted), including the printout from these summary commands on my machine and the check of out.ok "by hand", see http://www.stat.umn.edu/geyer/5931/mle/seed2.Rnw http://www.stat.umn.edu/geyer/5931/mle/seed2.pdf ______________________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list https://www.stat.math.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel