Discriminant analysis is a statistical technique used to classify individuals or cases into groups based on a set of predictor variables. It aims to determine which variables discriminate between two or more naturally occurring groups and build a model to predict group membership. The key steps involve developing discriminant functions using linear combinations of predictors, examining differences between groups on predictors, and evaluating the accuracy of classification. Discriminant analysis is commonly used to classify individuals into categories based on characteristics like athletic ability, performance level, or other attributes.