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chaos theory

Field of mathematics about dynamical systems highly sensitive to initial conditions

Entitymathematical theory branch of mathematicsQ166314

Instance of: mathematical theory
, branch of mathematics

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

Chaos theory is a branch of mathematics and an interdisciplinary area of scientific study. It focuses on underlying patterns and deterministic laws of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions. These were once thought to have completely random states of disorder and irregularities. The theory states that within the apparent randomness of chaotic complex systems, there are underlying patterns, interconnection, constant feedback loops, repetition, self-similarity, fractals and self-organization. The butterfly effect, an underlying principle of chaos, describes how a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state. A metaphor for this behavior is that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil can cause or prevent a tornado in Texas.

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55 statements · 24% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Practiced by: chaotician
Is the study of: chaotic system

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42 identifiers linking chaos theory across the web's reference databases

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statements

24%

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Source last edited October 8, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). chaos theory (Q166314). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/chaos-theory-Q166314