[SciPy-User] ODR fitting several equations to the same parameters

[ms]

Hi,

Probably it is a noobish question, but statistics is still not my cup of
tea as I'd like it to be. :)

Let's start with a simple example. Imagine I have several linear data
sets y=ax+b which have different b (all of them are known) but that
should fit to the same (unknown) a. To have my best estimate of a, I
would want to fit them all together. In this case it is trivial, you
just subtract the known b from the data set and fit them all at the same
time.

In my case it is a bit different, in the sense that I have to do
conceptually the same thing but for a highly non-linear equation where
the equivalent of "b" above is not so simple to separate. I wonder
therefore if there is a way to do a simultaneous fit of different
equations differing only in the known parameters and having a single
output, possibly with the help of ODR. Is this possible? And/or what
should be the best thing to do, in general, for this kind of problems?

Many thanks,
M.