Sensitivity Analysis
An analysis of how a system changes by some adjustment to inputs; one changes the model and observe the behavior. Specific to a quantitative model it's, determining how the independent variable values will impact a dependent variable given a set of assumptions.
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Origin
Conceptual roots trace to 17th-century probability theory developed by Pierre de Fermat and Blaise Pascal, exploring how variable changes influence outcomes. Sensitivity analysis formalized during and after World War II in operations research, as military strategists needed methods to predict effects of changes in complex systems. Capabilities expanded in the 1970s with computing advances, including Paul Cukier's Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test (FAST) for multi-variable analysis.
Updated February 22, 2026