Finding a linear model when the data does not follow a perfectly straight line may be referred to by several terms. The terms “method of least squares”, “linear regression”, or “best fit” are all used to refer to modeling data with lines.
We can also use WolframAlpha to model data with lines. To do this we type “linear fit” followed by the data listed as ordered pairs. Here is an example.
You get a graph, the model, and R squared values when you execute this command.