Final answer:
The Monte Carlo method, a statistical technique, was developed in World War II to assist in nuclear weapons testing, using random sampling for complex problem-solving.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Monte Carlo method was first developed during World War II to test nuclear weapons. This method is a statistical technique that uses random sampling and computer simulations to solve problems that might be deterministic in principle but are too complex to solve directly. The name 'Monte Carlo' was coined by scientists working on the nuclear weapons project at Los Alamos National Laboratory, referencing the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco, due to the method's reliance on random chance resembling the uncertainty of casino games.