From Wikipedia
Chaos theory is a branch of mathematics
focusing on the study of chaos—states of dynamical
systems whose apparently-random states of disorder and irregularities are
often governed by deterministic laws that are highly sensitive to initial conditions.[1][2] Chaos theory is an interdisciplinary
theory stating that, within the apparent randomness of chaotic complex systems, there are
underlying patterns, interconnectedness, constant feedback
loops, repetition, self-similarity, fractals, and self-organization.[3] The butterfly
effect, an underlying principle of chaos, describes how a small change in
one state of a deterministic nonlinear
system can result in large differences in a later state (meaning that there is
sensitive dependence on initial conditions).[4] A metaphor for this behavior is that a
butterfly flapping its wings in China can cause a hurricane in Texas [5].
Small differences in initial
conditions, such as those due to errors in measurements or due to rounding
errors in numerical computation, can yield widely diverging outcomes for such
dynamical systems, rendering long-term prediction of their behavior impossible
in general.[6] This can happen even though these systems
are deterministic, meaning that
their future behavior follows a unique evolution[7] and is fully determined by their initial
conditions, with no random elements involved.[8] In other words, the deterministic nature
of these systems does not make them predictable.[9][10] This behavior is known as deterministic
chaos, or simply chaos. The theory was summarized by Edward
Lorenz as:[11]
Chaos: When the present
determines the future, but the approximate present does not approximately
determine the future.
Whether
in personal confrontation or concerning city wide conflagration
The strongest
answer is not always overwhelming force.
A portion
of our training ought to include being aware of small events that can yield
greater results.
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