A parameter is a quantity that influences the output of a model and can be constant or variable. When variable, the range of possible values identifies a collection of distinct cases in a problem. In most of mathematical problems, parameters are held constant, while in statistical problems parameters adopt a range of values and are variable. For example, in an ordinary regression model, parameters are deterministic and are just represented by a number. In contrast, in a Bayesian linear regression model, parameters have statistical distributions and can adopt a range of values. In simpler cases, a parameter represents “a definable, measurable, and constant or variable characteristic, dimension, property, or value, selected from a set of data (or population) because it is considered essential to understanding a situation (or in solving a problem).” Mean and standard deviation of a measurable characteristic of a population are examples of parameters in such cases. Similarly, in the context of fragilities, typically fragility parameters are median and dispersion of a LogNormal distribution defining the fragility. Captured from: (https://www.britannica.com/topic/parameter; https://mathinsight.org/definition/parameter; http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/parameter.html)

The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, proposed by Kennedy and Eberhart, is a metaheuristic algorithm based on the concept of swarm intelligence capable of solving complex mathematics problems existing in engineering. [de Almeida, B. S. G., & Leite, V. C. (2019). Particle swarm optimization: A powerful technique for solving engineering problems. In Swarm Intelligence-Recent Advances, New Perspectives and Applications. IntechOpen.]

An engineering Key Performance Indicator (KPI) or metric is a clearly defined quantifiable measure that an engineering firm uses to gauge its success over time. [https://insightsoftware.com/blog/top-engineering-kpis-and-metric-examples/#:~:text=An%20engineering%20Key%20Performance%20Indicator,to%20project%20specific%20performance%20metrics.]