Chaos Theory
Chaos theory applies principles of physics and mathematics to create models that analyze complex systems to determine possible outcomes. Complex systems are systems that contain so many moving parts that they require computers to calculate all of the possible outcomes. An example of chaos theory in use is the determination of birds migratory … Keep Reading → patterns. There are so many possible scenarios that could influence the patterns that only a computer could make the calculation. The first significant work in chaos theory was accidentally discovered by Edward Lorentz from his lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Lorentz had created a computer based weather model to predict weather patterns. He found that by resubmitting information the computer generated it completely changed the results. Even small changes in the initial assumptions dramatically changed the results. Because of the uncertainty of the initial circumstances, the entire process cannot be predicted accurately. Chaos theory sought to find patterns in these otherwise unpredictable circumstances.
