Chaos

by Steven H. Strogatz

How can something called chaos theory help you understand an orderly world? What practical things might it be good for? What, in fact, is chaos theory? These 24 lectures take you to the heart of chaos theory as it is understood today and introduce you to the science of how things change: a fascinating discipline that has more to do with your life than you may realize. Professor Strogatz makes the case for why chaos theory marks such a radical departure from traditional science: It asks unusual questions at the everyday scale of human life; it shifts the focus off the laws of nature and onto their consequences; it’s radically interdisciplinary in an era of increasingly specialized disciplines; and it paints a topsy-turvy picture of the world in which simple systems can show complex behavior. Professor Strogatz's expert guidance lays bare the complexities of chaos theory in a way that any interested layperson can understand. As you follow the story of chaos theory's development, you’ll approach the core ideas of chaos in the same way the world's greatest thinkers, grounded in their historical contexts, once did. This story not only helps you understand the fundamentals of this field, but it also helps you appreciate the extraordinary intellectual feat that chaos theory represents.With the insights these lectures provide, news stories about key scientific discoveries and new directions in research will take on a fresh importance.

Genres: Science, Mathematics, Nonfiction

Audiobook

About the author

Steven Strogatz is the Schurman Professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University. A renowned teacher and one of the world’s most highly cited mathematicians, he has been a frequent guest on National Public Radio’s Radiolab. Among his honors are MIT's highest teaching prize, membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a lifetime achievement award for communication of math to the general public, awarded by the four major American mathematical societies. He also wrote a popular New York Times online column, “The Elements of Math,” which formed the basis for his new book, The Joy of x. He lives in Ithaca, New York with his wife and two daughters.

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I watch a lot of Great Courses lecture sets. This has been one of the best! The lecturer presents extremely complex information in a way that an intelligent layperson can understand it! He makes the beauty, excitement, and personalities in Math shine. Recommended to all from high school up, interested in math or science!

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strogatz is an excellent teacher with an affable personality. The subject is profoundly interesting, yet I found the course to drag during its second part. It could stand some editing.