1 TABLE_MARGINALIZE  Marginalize a table against 2 columns
        TABLE_MARGINALIZE

    This  taks  is used to project (marginalize) a table of N+1 columns, one
    of which is contains the value of a function of the N others, onto a ta-
    ble of 3 columns, containing the "marginalized" value of the function of
    only 2 parameters, columns noted X,Y hereafter.  The table is assumed to
    be regularly spaced in (X,Y) values in this current version.

    This  process  is  often needed in multi-parameter minimization, e.g. to
    derive a 2-D Chi^2 surface from an (N-1)-D hypersurface (or  equivalent-
    lyfor a Likelihood distribution).

    To  derive a single value from the N-2 values for each (X,Y) pair, a re-
    duction operation is required. The available operations are MIN  (appro-
    priate  for Chi^2 projection), MAX (appropriate for Likelihood) MEAN and
    SUM.

2 TABLE_IN$
        TASK\FILE "Table name" TABLE_IN$

    The name of the input table with (N+1) columns.
2 TABLE_OUT$
        TASK\CHARACTER "Output table" TABLE_OUT$

    The name of the output 3-column table.

2 COLUMNS$
        TASK\INTEGER "X,Y,Z columns " COLUMNS$[3]

    The number of the columns that are used as (X,Y)  (selected  parameters)
    and Z (function values).

2 METHOD$
        TASK\CHARACTER "Method (Min,Max,Sum,Mean) " METHOD$

    The  reduction  operation name. This can be MIN MAX SUM or MEAN.  MIN is
    appropriate to marginalize a Chi^2 distribution, MAX  for  a  Likelihood
    distribution. SUM and MEAN are may be useful to average several realiza-
    tions of the same (noisy) function.

2 BLANKING$
        TASK\REAL "Output Blanking value" BLANKING$

    Blanking value for output data. Normally not critical.
1 ENDOFHELP




















