[Factor (algebra):
A factor is each multiplicative term that forms part of an algebraic product. In the expression (a+b)(c+d)(a+b)(c+d)(a+b)(c+d), the factors are the expressions a+ba+ba+b and c+dc+dc+d.
Factor (statistics and data science):
In statistics, the term factor refers to a data type used to represent categorical variables. These variables can take a finite set of values (categories), unlike continuous variables, which can correspond to an infinite number of values.
- Example: a categorical variable may be “eye colour” (blue, green, brown), whereas a continuous variable could be “height” (170.2 cm, 171.8 cm, etc.).
