SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF COMPLEX KINETIC SYSTEMS - TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS

Sensitivity analysis investigates the effect of parameter change on the solution of mathematical models. In chemical kinetics, models are usually based on differential equations and the results are concentration-time curves, reaction rates, and various kinetic features of the reaction. This review discusses in detail the concentration sensitivity, rate sensitivity, and feature sensitivity analysis of spatially homogeneous constant-parameter reaction systems. Sensitivity analyses of distributed parameter systems and of stochastic systems are also briefly described. Special attention is paid to the interpretation of sensitivity coefficients which can provide information about the importance and interconnection of parameters and variables. Applications of sensitivity analysis to uncertainty analysis, parameric scaling, parameter estimation, experimental design, stability analysis, repro-modeling, and investigation and reduction of complex reaction mechanisms are discussed profoundly. © 1990 J.C. Baltzer AG, Scientific Publishing Company.