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I'm not sure I can agree. > Are they using the formal definition of chaos, or just a colloquialism? Is it a colloquialism to use a word in its normal English
by jimnotgym 9y ago
I'm not sure I can agree.
> Are they using the formal definition of chaos, or just a colloquialism?
Is it a colloquialism to use a word in its normal English sense? Chaos as a word precedes Chaos Theory by some thousands of years. If I write a theory and take over an existing word in everyday use, it seems a bit much to accuse every one else of colloquiallism when they use an existing but less strict definition?
- letlambda 9y ago> If I write a theory and take over an existing word in everyday use, it seems a bit much to accuse every one else of colloquialism when they use an existing but less strict definition? It does, but engineering is a technical profession and it's practitioners are likely familiar with the mathematical concept. I've read about applications of chaos theory in system design, and I expected 'Principals of Chaos Engineering' to be about that topic.
- philipov 9y agoThe problem I have with the name is that it feels like their audience is people not familiar with the mathematical concept. In other words, not engineers; in other words, non-technical managers. And that marks it as the latest marketing fluff being pitched by management consultants.
- mcbits 9y agoPeople familiar with the mathematical concept will almost always be talking about something like "nonlinear dynamics" instead, anyway.
- philipov 9y agoFunny you say that. I had to restrain myself from using that term. Technically, chaotic systems are only a subset of nonlinear systems. For example, solitons are nonlinear, but neither are they chaotic.