1. A method for rapid decision making for a nonlinear system, the method comprising: providing a database of system responses, the database relating a plurality of input variables to at least one output variable predicting a future state of a component, at least one of the plurality of input variables being a current component damage level, each output variable having a nonlinear dependence on the plurality of input variables; calibrating the database's relations between the plurality of input variables to the at least one output variable predicting the future state with first empirical information about the nonlinear system; obtaining a sensor response from a sensor; estimating a current component damage level probability distribution from the sensor response and second empirical data representing a dependence of the sensor response on the damage level; inputting the current component damage level probability distribution to a multivariate inverse method; estimating a future state probability distribution using the database and the multivariate inverse method; and using the future state probability distribution to make a decision.