Exploring Chaos: A Guide to the New Science of Disorder

by Nina Hall (Editor)

Chaos Theory is giving scientists fresh insights into all sorts of unruly phenomena--from dripping faucets to swinging pendulums, from the vagaries of the weather to the movements of the planets, from heart rhythms to gold futures. In this collection of front-line reports, edited for the general reader, internationally recognized experts trace the roots of chaos in modern science and mathematics.

Genres: Science, Mathematics

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1992

Reviews

[S. Shelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Exploring Chaos, Hall has combined eighteen essays that explore the science of chaos in several disciplines: the stock market, quantum physics, the arrow of time, electronics, mathematics, fluids, chemistry, engineering, the solar systems, and so forth. The authors are prominent scientists, professors, and aerologists.

This book is not an easy read. It is geared to a sophisticated audience that understands science and mathematics. Nonetheless, there are gems of information scattered throughout the essays. For example:

The theory of chaos touches all disciplines.
Small changes lead to bigger changes later—the signature of chaos.
Chaos is persistent instability.
Feedback may morph into chaos.
Chaos helps researchers understand evolving, complicated systems.
Chaos is a dynamic phenomenon.
Extreme sensitivity of initial conditions characterizes an evolving chaotic system.
The language of chaos is topology.
Frequently, chaotic motion follows simple, deterministic laws.

Lastly, I fault Nina Hall for not including an index—essential for all science books.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for grad class. Good intro in the mid 1990s.