Relevant Features

Definition ∞ Relevant features in an economic or computational model are the essential attributes or variables that directly influence the outcome or decision-making process. These features possess explanatory power and are necessary for accurately representing the system under study. Identifying and including only relevant features is crucial for building efficient, interpretable, and robust models. Their careful selection prevents overfitting and improves the generalizability of analytical results.
Context ∞ In the development of blockchain protocols and decentralized applications, identifying relevant features is paramount for designing effective and secure mechanisms. For instance, when constructing a transaction fee market, only variables that genuinely impact user utility or network congestion should be considered. Including extraneous elements can introduce inefficiencies, increase computational costs, or even create unintended vulnerabilities. Protocol engineers prioritize isolating these core features to build streamlined and high-performing decentralized systems.