branching analysis
noun phraseUK /ˈbrɑːntʃɪŋ əˈnæləsɪs/
US /ˈbræntʃɪŋ əˈnæləsɪs/
A way of studying something by splitting it into smaller parts that go in different directions, like tree branches.
The team used branching analysis to see how each choice in the game could lead to a different ending.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A method in computer science for examining all possible paths a program can take.
The programmer ran a branching analysis to find every route through the code.
3. A way of mapping family trees by following different lines of relatives.
The historian did a branching analysis to trace the family's many cousins.
4. A business technique for exploring different possible futures from one starting point.
Branching analysis helped the company plan for both good and bad sales years.