WHY IS CHAOS THEORY IMPORTANT?

Solving it could help us unlock the secrets of the universe

What is chaos theory?

Chaos theory is a branch of mathematics that deals with patterns that repeat in complex systems. Small changes in the system can often grow to make a big difference later down the line.

Can it predict the future?

Not quite. With some systems – like a single planet orbiting a star – it’s very easy to work out where the planet will be at any given time in the future. Yet as soon as you add a third object, that reliable behaviour becomes unstable and much harder to predict. Chaos theory is all about looking for hidden patterns to get a better handle on future behaviour.

Did chaos theory appear in Jurassic Park?

Jeff Goldblum’s character Ian Malcolm is obsessed with chaos theory and predicts that it will be the downfall of the dinosaur park. In one scene in the jeep he uses droplets of water to explain the theory.

Could understanding chaos help us with future technology?

It may be instrumental in effective quantum computers, which work by trapping and manipulating atoms using lasers.

Those atoms move around chaotically, and understanding how that happens is important in being able to keep the atoms where they’re needed.

Could artificial intelligence help us?

Quite possibly. Scientists trained a type of artificial intelligence called a neural network on nearly 10,000 versions of the ‘three-body problem’. It learned how to solve some of the test cases more effectively than a bruteforce approach.