R: Construct Design Matrices

model.matrix {stats} | R Documentation

## Construct Design Matrices

### Description

`model.matrix` creates a design matrix.

### Usage

    model.matrix(object, ...)

    ## Default S3 method:
    model.matrix(object, data = environment(object),
                 contrasts.arg = NULL, xlev = NULL, ...)

### Arguments

`object` | an object of an appropriate class. For the default method, a model formula or terms object.
`data` | a data frame created with `model.frame`.
`contrasts.arg` | A list, whose entries are contrasts suitable for input to the `contrasts` replacement function and whose names are the names of columns of `data` containing `factor`s.
`xlev` | to be used as argument of `model.frame` if `data` has no `"terms"` attribute.
`...` | further arguments passed to or from other methods.

### Details

`model.matrix` creates a design matrix from the description given in `terms(formula)`, using the data in `data` which must contain columns with the same names as would be created by a call to `model.frame(formula)` or, more precisely, by evaluating `attr(terms(formula), "variables")`. There may be other columns and the order is not important. If `contrasts` is specified it overrides the default factor coding for that variable.

In interactions, the variable whose levels vary fastest is the first one to appear in the formula (and not in the term), so in `~ a + b + b:a` the interaction will have `a` varying fastest.

By convention, if the response variable also appears on the right-hand side of the formula it is dropped (with a warning), although interactions involving the term are retained.

### Value

The design matrix for a regression model with the specified formula and data.

### References

Chambers, J. M. (1992) Data for models. Chapter 3 of Statistical Models in S eds J. M. Chambers and T. J. Hastie, Wadsworth & Brooks/Cole.

### See Also

`model.frame`, `model.extract`, `terms`

### Examples

    data(trees)
    ff <- log(Volume) ~ log(Height) + log(Girth)
    str(m <- model.frame(ff, trees))
    mat <- model.matrix(ff, m)

    dd <- data.frame(a = gl(3,4), b = gl(4,1,12))# balanced 2-way
    options("contrasts")
    model.matrix(~ a + b, dd)
    model.matrix(~ a + b, dd, contrasts = list(a="contr.sum"))
    model.matrix(~ a + b, dd, contrasts = list(a="contr.sum", b="contr.poly"))
    m.orth <- model.matrix(~a+b, dd, contrasts = list(a="contr.helmert"))
    crossprod(m.orth)# m.orth is  ALMOST  orthogonal

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