| Abstract from DBPedia | Forecasting is the process of making predictions based on past and present data. Later these can be compared (resolved) against what happens. For example, a company might estimate their revenue in the next year, then compare it against the actual results. Prediction is a similar, but more general term. Forecasting might refer to specific formal statistical methods employing time series, cross-sectional or longitudinal data, or alternatively to less formal judgmental methods or the process of prediction and resolution itself. Usage can vary between areas of application: for example, in hydrology the terms "forecast" and "forecasting" are sometimes reserved for estimates of values at certain specific future times, while the term "prediction" is used for more general estimates, such as the number of times floods will occur over a long period. Risk and uncertainty are central to forecasting and prediction; it is generally considered a good practice to indicate the degree of uncertainty attaching to forecasts. In any case, the data must be up to date in order for the forecast to be as accurate as possible. In some cases the data used to predict the variable of interest is itself forecast.予言（よげん、英: prediction）とは、ある物事についてその実現に先立ち「あらかじめ言明すること」である。予言を行う者を予言者（よげんしゃ）と呼ぶ。 神秘的現象としての「予言」は、その中でも合理的には説明することのできない推論の方法によって未来の事象を語ることを指し、占星術やチャネリングと同じく疑似科学の領域の話題として扱われることが多い。未来の事象を扱う場合でも、自然科学や社会科学のモデルに則り合理的な説明が可能なものは、神秘的な意味での予言とは扱われない。例として物体の運動、天気予報、統計による人口推計などが挙げられる。 本項では主に神秘的現象としての予言を取り扱い、対比として科学の領域において比喩的に「予言」の語を充てる例も取り上げる。 (Source: http://dbpedia.org/resource/Forecasting) |
