Adaptive Fractional Factorial Experiment — Sequential Factor Screening and Optimization

An adaptive fractional factorial experiment combines the resource-efficiency of fractional factorial designs with a sequential, data-driven strategy for selecting which factors and interactions to investigate next. Rather than committing all experimental runs upfront, the researcher analyses results from an initial fraction and uses those findings to guide subsequent rounds of experimentation — augmenting, folding, or redirecting the design until the active factors and optimal settings are identified with sufficient precision.