propagation of uncertainty

Propagation of uncertainty refers to how measurement errors or variability in individual inputs affect the overall result in a calculation or prediction. When multiple measurements or factors contribute to an outcome, uncertainties from each source combine, potentially increasing the overall uncertainty of the final result. This process considers how small fluctuations in inputs can influence the accuracy and precision of the outcome, allowing us to estimate the confidence we can have in the result and identify which inputs most significantly impact the uncertainty.