Python: two-curve gaussian fitting with non-linear least-squares

Question

My knowledge of maths is limited which is why I am probably stuck. I have a spectra to which I am trying to fit two Gaussian peaks. I can fit to the largest peak, but I cann

Answer 1

coeffs 0 and 4 are degenerate - there is absolutely nothing in the data that can decide between them. you should use a single zero level parameter instead of two (ie remove one of them from your code). this is probably what is stopping your fit (ignore the comments here saying this is not possible - there are clearly at least two peaks in that data and you should certainly be able to fit to that).

(it may not be clear why i am suggesting this, but what is happening is that coeffs 0 and 4 can cancel each other out. they can both be zero, or one could be 100 and the other -100 - either way, the fit is just as good. this "confuses" the fitting routine, which spends its time trying to work out what they should be, when there is no single right answer, because whatever value one is, the other can just be the negative of that, and the fit will be the same).

in fact, from the plot, it looks like there may be no need for a zero level at all. i would try dropping both of those and seeing how the fit looks.

also, there is no need to fit coeffs 1 and 5 (or the zero point) in the least squares. instead, because the model is linear in those you could calculate their values each loop. this will make things faster, but is not critical. i just noticed you say your maths is not so good, so probably ignore this one.