Explaining Chaos

by Peter Smith

Chaotic dynamics has been hailed as the third great scientific revolution in physics in this century, comparable to relativity and quantum mechanics. In this book, Peter Smith takes a cool, critical look at such claims. He cuts through the hype and rhetoric by explaining some of the basic mathematical ideas in a clear and accessible way, and by carefully discussing the methodological issues that arise. In particular, he explores the new kinds of explanation of empirical phenomena that modern dynamics can deliver. Explaining Chaos will be compulsory reading for philosophers of science and for anyone who has wondered about the conceptual foundations of chaos theory.

Genres: Philosophy, Mathematics, Science

204 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 1998

About the author

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Reviews

[TjeerdFokkens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely balanced between philosophy and mathematics. It forms a good introduction to chaos theory. The connections between the different aspects are well illustrated. The writing style isn't always that great though. A bit too wordy here and there. I also think that since the publication date of this book, a lot has happened in chaos theory, so it may not be up to date anymore. His book on Gödels theorems was excellent. This one is OK.

[Lucille Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtful book that balanced chaos theory, mathematical formalism, and philosophy. By advocating a pluralistic approach to the definition of chaos that includes attractors, scale and fractal similarity, and periodic behavior it does quite well to encompass much of the field. It also does well to talk about scientific advancement in physics and mathematics, beyond a textbook view found in many histories and philosophies of science. Well worth a read.