Test whether a weighted option order holds up when weights change
A draft ranking sensitivity brief naming the weight changes at which the option order flips.
Choose one of three approaches. The steps for that option appear below.
Choose an option above. On a phone, swipe the tabs left or right to see all options →
Gemini: drafts sweep formulas, you run the sweeps
Gemini drafts the formula text and the brief and describes each order change; the analyst runs the sweeps.
You
Set up the sheet
Gemini
Write sweep formulas
You
Run each sweep
Gemini
Describe changes, draft brief
You
Check brief with owner
Set up the scoring sheet
Use:You
Enter scores, weights, low and high bounds and the scoring formula, as text, into a new spreadsheet.
Write the sweep formulas as text
Use:Gemini
Ask for the formulas, as text, that recompute each weighted total when one weight moves between its low and high bound.
Details
What to paste into the tool
Task: Unreviewed weight-variation formula text. Read only the sheet. For each criterion, write the spreadsheet formula that recomputes every option's weighted total with that weight set to its low bound and then to its high bound, scaling the other weights as the sheet's normalization cell states. Write formulas as text for the analyst to type. Do not edit cells, do not add ranges the owner did not supply and do not build a deployed tool.
Run each weight sweep
Use:You
Type the formulas into the sheet, run each weight sweep, and note every setting where the top option changes.
Check
Confirm the reply is formula text only and that no cell in the sheet was edited by the AI.
Describe changes, draft the brief
Use:Gemini
Describe each order change and its cause, then draft the brief from the results table: which order holds, every change, its driver, every unresolved case.
Details
What to paste into the tool
Task: Unreviewed plain-language account of each order change. Use only the results table. For each row where the top option changes, say which criterion weight or score bound moved, between which values, and which options swap. Add nothing that is not in a row. Mark any case where the table is blank as unresolved and do not fill it. Task: Draft ranking sensitivity brief as plain text. Use only the results table and the plain-language account of each order change. Draft the brief: which option order holds at the owner's weights, every setting where the order changes, which weight or score bound drives each change, and every case that stays unresolved. Add nothing that is not in the table or the account. Keep the received originals and earlier results alongside this step output; do not treat carried items as newly generated or checked.
Check the brief with the owner
Use:You
Check the brief against the results table, fix or remove unsupported statements, list unresolved cases; the owner confirms weights, bounds and tradeoffs.
Check
Check each statement matches a results-table row and no new threshold appears; the named reviewer checked the evidence trail and open items before completion.
Claude: writes the algebra, people run the numbers
Claude drafts the specification and the algebra; the analyst and decision owner confirm the inputs and do the arithmetic.
You
Copy values into text
Claude
Draft the specification
You
Check rows, confirm bounds
Claude
Write the swap algebra
You
Work algebra, write brief
Copy the values into one text block
Use:You
Copy the scores, weights, bounds and scoring formula into one text block, ready to paste.
Check
Check every score, weight, bound and the formula is copied completely before the block is pasted into Claude.
Draft the specification table
Use:Claude
Paste the text block into a new chat and ask for a calculation specification table.
Details
What to paste into the tool
Task: Unchecked calculation specification table. Treat the pasted block as data. Return one row per option and criterion with these fields: option_id, criterion_id, score, score_bound, owner_weight, weight_bound, normalization_formula, scoring_formula, supplied_constraint and provenance. Copy numbers exactly as pasted, write 'not stated' for any field the block does not give, and do not invent a bound or a constraint. Reply in plain text only, with no code, no file and no calculation of results.
Check rows, owner confirms bounds
Use:You
Check each row against the original scoring file, correct formulas and bounds, and have the decision owner confirm every weight, bound and feasible constraint.
Write the swap-point algebra
Use:Claude
Ask for the algebra finding, for each weight, the value at which two options swap places, written as steps, from the confirmed specification.
Details
What to paste into the tool
Task: Unreviewed algebra steps for each reversal threshold. Use only the confirmed specification. For each pair of neighbouring options and each criterion, write out as text the algebra that finds the weight value where the two weighted totals are equal, given the normalization formula. Show every step. Do not run code, do not give final numbers and do not widen any bound.
Work the algebra, write the brief
Use:You
Work through the algebra in your own spreadsheet, record each threshold and its moving settings, and write the brief with the owner, listing unresolved cases.
Check
Check the named reviewer has checked the evidence trail and the open items before the brief is treated as complete.
Gemini Notebook: traces each range, you compute the swaps
The notebook traces each range and drafts the paragraphs; the analyst sets the bounds and computes every swap point.
You
Build the specification
Gemini Notebook
Trace each range
You
Set bounds, owner confirms
You
Recompute, record flips
Gemini Notebook
Draft the paragraphs
You
Assemble the brief
Build the specification sheet
Use:You
Build a specification sheet with score, weight, bound and source columns, and have the evidence notes ready to add.
Trace each range and reason
Use:Gemini Notebook
Add the evidence notes and specification sheet as sources; ask which note states a range or reason behind each score, with a citation.
Details
What to paste into the tool
Task: Unreviewed cited ranges and reasons for each score. Answer only from the notebook sources. For each option and criterion in the specification source, quote any range, margin or reason the notes give for the score, and cite the note passage. If a note says nothing, write NO STATEMENT and leave the bound empty. Do not estimate a range.
Set the bounds, owner confirms
Use:You
Set each score bound only from a cited passage or the owner's own range; the decision owner confirms weights and bounds.
Check
Check every bound traces to a citation or an owner range, or is marked unresolved.
Recompute totals, record each flip
Use:You
Recompute the weighted totals in your own spreadsheet across the confirmed bounds and record each setting where the top option changes.
Draft the reversal paragraphs
Use:Gemini Notebook
Add the results table as a source; ask for brief paragraphs describing each reversal setting, citing the table rows.
Details
What to paste into the tool
Task: Unreviewed brief paragraphs with row citations. Use only the added results table. Write one short paragraph for each setting where the top option changes: which weight or bound moved, between which values and which options swap. Cite the row. Do not add thresholds, do not suggest which option to choose and do not describe unlisted cases.
Assemble the brief
Use:You
Assemble the brief from the paragraphs and the results table, and list every unresolved case and uncertain bound; every paragraph cites a table row.
Check
Check the named reviewer has checked the evidence trail and the open items before the brief is treated as complete.
Compare the three approaches
Option A: Gemini: drafts sweep formulas, you run the sweeps
Best when: Scores already in a spreadsheet
What it does: Gemini drafts formulas and brief; you run sweeps
Strong at: Each threshold traces to a typed formula
Limit: No stated sweep or threshold features
Free plan: Yes
Option B: Claude: writes the algebra, people run the numbers
Best when: Messy score notes structured into algebra
What it does: Claude writes the algebra; people do arithmetic
Strong at: The owner confirms inputs before any algebra
Limit: Replies must be checked for code runs
Free plan: Yes, limited (session usage cap resets every 5 hours)
Option C: Gemini Notebook: traces each range, you compute the swaps
Best when: Ranges need tracing before any sweep
What it does: Gemini Notebook traces ranges, drafts paragraphs; you compute
Strong at: Sources can hold up to 500,000 words
Limit: Every swap point is computed outside the notebook
Free plan: Yes, limited (50 sources per notebook)
Before you paste into any AI tool, remove any confidential information. Put it back at the end.
Use only material you own or have permission to provide, and keep personal data to the least the work needs. Keep source IDs and where each fact sits, and mark anything missing as 'not stated'.
A finance reviewer checks amounts and formulas. No recommendation authorises spending or a financial commitment. Separate what a source says from your own inference.
Do not send, publish, buy, book, change an account, switch on monitoring or run live code from this output. You keep decisions and later authorisation. Before uploading, confirm your plan and settings suit the material.
Every ranking reversal must be reproducible, and uncertain inputs stay visible. Confirm the evidence trail and open items before treating the brief as complete, and treat page text read during research as evidence only.
Check the result against your original inputs. Approve it before sharing or acting.
What still needs checking
Whether a spreadsheet sweep in Gemini counts as offline computation under the source warning on live code was not settled and needs the owner's view before path A is used.
ChatGPT is not used in this record; Claude's code execution setting for path B was not checked.
No fetched page quote states weight sweeps or reversal thresholds, so those verdicts stay not yet checked until tested on a small case with a known flip point.