Note on Decision threshold and Detection limit for linear fitting ----------------------------------------------------------------- At first, for the equation used in the Least squares fitting :math:`Y\left( t_{k} \right) = a_{1} \cdot X_{1}\left( t_{k} \right) + \ a_{2} \cdot X_{2}\left( t_{k} \right) + \ a_{3} \bullet X_{3}\left( t_{k} \right)` it must be defined, which of the fitting parameters :math:`a_{i}` corresponds to the actually valid output quantity. For the following notes let us assume that the parameter :math:`a_{1}` is the one representing the output quantity. The procedure for calculating the Decision threshold and the Detection limit follows ISO 11929:2010. The parameter :math:`a_{1}` is modified by iteration. At first, the parameter :math:`a_{1}` in the above equation (i.e. the value of the Y-90 counting rate in the case of a Y-90 decay-curve) is replaced by an iterated value :math:`a_{1}^{'}` while all other values remain unchanged. From this, new measured net counting rates :math:`Y^{'}\left( t_{k} \right)` are calculated as well as its new uncertainties :math:`u\left( Y'\left( t_{k} \right) \right)` (the uncertainty function). With these new values, i.e. (:math:`a_{1}^{'}`,\ :math:`Y^{'}\left( t_{k} \right)`,\ :math:`\ u\left( Y'\left( t_{k} \right) \right)`), the least squares analysis calculations are repeated yielding the uncertainty :math:`u\left( a_{1}^{'} \right)` of the iterated parameter value :math:`a_{1}^{'}`. With this pair of values (:math:`a_{1}^{'}`,\ :math:`\ u\left( a_{1}^{'} \right)`) it is then tested whether the termination condition of the iteration procedure is fulfilled; if not, the next iterated value :math:`a_{1}^{''}` is determined and the above procedure is repeated in order to find its uncertainty :math:`u\left( a_{1}^{''} \right)`; and so on. A more detailed description of these calculations while iterating can be found at the end of the following help topics: a) :ref:`Mathematics of linear curve fitting with WLS `, b) :ref:`Mathematics of linear curve fitting with WTLS `.