What is Chaos Theory and Does it Explain Predicting the Future?

[semidevil]

after posting my thread about predicting the future and getting some informatve reply, I got really interested in this.

So is this like chaos theory? is that what it's called? I would definatly love to read more about the theory behind this "predicting the future" and initial conditions and all that...to me, it's just so interesting.

Do you guys have any good books to reccommend? something not too technical, but then again, i don't want it to be like a story novel. so something with some math in it, and some theory, and research and all that...

I have no prior knowledge in this, so just want to get started and see what it's all about.

 

[saltydog]

after posting my thread about predicting the future and getting some informatve reply, I got really interested in this.

So is this like chaos theory? is that what it's called? I would definatly love to read more about the theory behind this "predicting the future" and initial conditions and all that...to me, it's just so interesting.

Do you guys have any good books to reccommend? something not too technical, but then again, i don't want it to be like a story novel. so something with some math in it, and some theory, and research and all that...

I have no prior knowledge in this, so just want to get started and see what it's all about.

Good start: "Chaos and Fractals" by Peitgen et.al.

Learn the three Icons of Chaos Theory: The Fiegenbaum diagram, the Mandelbrot Set, and of course, The Lorenz Attractor.

It's intimately connected to non-linear dynamics. And if the whole world is made up of non-linear dynamics (the equations of mathematical physics are), then what does that tell you about what's going on?

 

[Math Is Hard]

Have you read "Chaos", by James Gleick?

 

[semidevil]

Have you read "Chaos", by James Gleick?

yea, I haven't read anything yet, so just wanted to give something a try...thanx guys

 

[danne89]

"Does God Play Dice" is good.

 

[HallsofIvy]

"Does God Play Dice" is good.

Is that about chaos theory? Chaos involves deterministic behavior, not random.

 

[danne89]

Is that about chaos theory? Chaos involves deterministic behavior, not random.

Indeed. The title is from the famous Einstein-quote "God does not play dice with the universe.". So it's Einstein, not the auhtor, who's gotten the fundamentals of the theory wrong.

Edit:
But I ought to warn: It's quite popular book and does just contain a handfew equation. Many pictures is provided, though. You should have some differentail equ. knowlage, at least, for benefit maximaly from it, I think.