Multistep

Multistep is an adjective used to describe processes, methods, or workflows that proceed through a series of distinct stages rather than a single action. The term is applied across disciplines such as mathematics, engineering, software design, and operations management, where breaking work into multiple steps can improve control, reliability, and clarity for participants.

In numerical analysis, multistep methods solve differential equations by combining information from several previous points to estimate future values. They contrast with single-step methods that use only the current state. Linear multistep methods include Adams-Bashforth and Adams-Moulton families. Their use requires starting values and attention to stability, but they can be more efficient for smooth problems.

In workflows and user interfaces, multistep designs split tasks into discrete stages or pages. This approach can reduce cognitive load, provide progressive disclosure, and enable intermediate validation, but it may lengthen completion time and require careful error handling and navigation.

In other contexts, multistep can refer to multi-step verification or authentication, which uses several factors or actions to confirm identity, or to multistep problem solving, where a task is approached through a sequence of planned steps. Across these uses, the core idea remains splitting complex tasks into manageable stages to improve guidance, monitoring, and quality control.