Definition
Plain language
A single number from a statistics model that says how strongly one thing pushes another, and in which direction.
As stated in the literature
An estimated weight in a regression relating a predictor to the outcome; its sign gives direction and its magnitude the strength of the association, ideally on a standardized scale for comparison across predictors.
Also called: coefficients
Why it matters: Coefficients let you read off both the direction and strength of a relationship from a model, turning raw data into a clear statement about what pushes an outcome up or down.
For example, a coefficient might show that each extra year of schooling is linked to a $2,000 rise in yearly income, with the positive sign meaning more schooling goes with more pay.
Heard on the show
“… Which means a lot of the careful tuning of KL coefficients and entropy bonuses that the field has spent years on is — by this paper's lights — addressing …”Episode 010 — When Reward Climbs But Reasoning Goes Generic: Diagnosing Template Collapse in Agentic RL