ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ordinary least squares

Ordinary least squares (OLS) is a way of finding the best line that describes a set of data. It works by taking a set of points that describe a pattern and looking for the line with the least amount of errors. The line that it finds is the one that is the least squares line because it minimizes the amount of error. The least squares line is the one that most accurately fits the data.