Advantages of the mean absolute error (MAE) over the root mean square error (RMSE) in assessing average model performance

CR Climate Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials CR 30:79-82 (2005) - doi:10.3354/cr030079 Advantages of the mean absolute error (MAE) over the root mean square error (RMSE) in assessing average model performance Cort J. Willmott*, Kenji Matsuura Center for Climatic Research, Department of Geography, University of Delaware. Newark, Delaware 19716, USA *Email: willmott@udel.edu ABSTRACT: The relative abilities of 2, dimensioned statistics—the root-mean-square error (RMSE) and the mean absolute error (MAE)—to describe average model-performance error are examined. The RMSE is of special interest…

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  National Science Foundation

  Award: 0230243
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  National Aeronautics and Space Administration