Skip to content

Upper limit on R squared with two weak regressors

Question

A response yy is regressed by OLS on x1x_1 alone and, separately, on x2x_2 alone (each with an intercept); both fits have R2=0.05R^2=0.05. What is the smallest number that is guaranteed to bound from above the R2R^2 of the joint regression of yy on x1x_1 and x2x_2 together?

Short answer

11. Nothing prevents a perfect fit. For example, let yy be an exact quadratic in x1x_1 whose vertex is far from the origin and let x2=x12x_2=x_1^2: each single regressor explains little, yet yy is an exact linear combination of 11, x1x_1 and x2x_2, so the joint R2R^2 is 11 (and individual R2R^2 values can be tuned to 0.050.05).

Adapted from QuantQuestions.io; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

See the hint and the full worked solution in the question bank (free account).

Open the worked solution

Lessons behind this question

Start with a free lesson: Normal Distribution is part of a free topic. Create a free account, no card needed, to read it in full with worked solutions.

Read it free