A latent variable or latent structure is a concept that refers to an unobserved or hidden variable that isn’t directly measured but is inferred from the relationships among observed variables.
It’s basically an underlying “cause” that influences the data you can see, helping explain why certain patterns or correlations exist.
For example,
- Observed: Metrics like CPU usage, memory usage, disk I/O from a system.
- Latent Variable: “System Load” — a hidden “stress” factor affecting all three metrics.