ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Partial autocorrelation function

The Partial Autocorrelation Function (PACF) is like a special tool that helps us see how much influence each previous time point has on the current time point in a time series. It's like asking, "how much does what happened in the past affect what's happening now?"

Imagine you're building a puzzle. Each piece represents a different month and you're trying to see how each piece fits together to create the big picture of the whole puzzle. However, some pieces might be more important than others when it comes to building the puzzle. The PACF helps you see which previous pieces (or months) are really important and have a big impact on the current piece (or month).

In simpler terms, think of it like a family tree, where each previous generation influences the next. The PACF helps us see how much each ancestor, or previous time point, has an impact on the current generation, or current time point. It's like figuring out which of our ancestors passed on the biggest piece of their genetic puzzle to us.

Overall, PACF is an important tool for analyzing time series data and understanding how past events influence current events.