Chaos

See also: Science | Complexity

Chaos is the science of complexity and how it is spontaneously produced. Chaos is universal – it surrounds us, all the time and it is not something dangerous that is to be feared. Lawlessness and anarchy do not equate directly to chaos.

Chaos is not simply a classification of a higher level of complexity, rather it is about a lack of geometric order. Chaos does not only refer to that which is unorganised or just “without order”. Chaos doesn’t mean unstable or refer to instability, instead it is a more accurate geometry which describes irregularity. Chaotic systems can be settled or flux between stability and inconsistentcy. The final state will always remains unpredictable.

The study of chaos is part of the field of mathematics dealing with the random behaviour of emerging systems and how they mould the unknown possibilities of the future. Chaologists now have a new tool, a new kind a mathematics for measuring the world. Understanding chaos has introduced a fresh aesthetic.

Research into chaos has revealed there are laws which define the behaviour of variables within complex systems. In a system that is chaotic, there are times when the mix of order tends in new directions. These concentrations are called bifurcation points. According to the theory by Edward Lorenz a chaotic system is characterised by extreme sensitivity to the slightest change or modifications in any of its multitudinous inputs, ie. ‘The Butterfly Effect’.

Redundancy can assist when dealing with the inevitable chaotic errors we may come across, particularly when it comes to using technology.

Related Topics