Difference between revisions of "Chaos"
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'''Chaos''' is an [[English]] word describing disorder and confusion. It originates from [[Greek]] [[mythology]], where Chaos was the empty [[void]] that existed before the world was created (similar to the earth being 'without form and void' in the book of [[Genesis]]). | '''Chaos''' is an [[English]] word describing disorder and confusion. It originates from [[Greek]] [[mythology]], where Chaos was the empty [[void]] that existed before the world was created (similar to the earth being 'without form and void' in the book of [[Genesis]]). | ||
| + | In the study of differential equations, with applications to Physics, '''chaos''' is the property that similar initial conditions will, after some time, lead to totally different final conditions<ref>[http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam033/2001052863.pdf Chaos in Dynamical Systems, by Edward Ott]</ref>. Chaos is one of the main reasons why the classical three body problem in Celestial Mechanics is not solvable<ref>[http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/PVB/Harrison/Chaos/Chaos.html An Introduction to Chaos]</ref>. | ||
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| + | == References == | ||
| + | <references /> | ||
[[category:physics]] | [[category:physics]] | ||
Revision as of 21:57, March 5, 2010
Chaos is an English word describing disorder and confusion. It originates from Greek mythology, where Chaos was the empty void that existed before the world was created (similar to the earth being 'without form and void' in the book of Genesis).
In the study of differential equations, with applications to Physics, chaos is the property that similar initial conditions will, after some time, lead to totally different final conditions[1]. Chaos is one of the main reasons why the classical three body problem in Celestial Mechanics is not solvable[2].