Law and Prediction in the Light of Chaos Research

I. Priogine (auth.), Paul Weingartner, Gerhard Schurz (eds.)3540615849, 9783540615842

Like relativity and quantum theory chaos research is another prominent concept of 20th century physics that has triggered deep and far-reaching discussions in the philosophy of science. In this volume outstanding scientists discuss the fundamental problems of the concepts of law and of prediction. They present their views in their contributions to this volume, but they also are exposed to criticism in transcriptions of recordings made during discussions and in comments on their views also published in this book. Although all authors assume familiarity with some background in physics they also address the philosophers of science and even a general audience interested in modern science’s contribution to a deeper understanding of reality.

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Table of contents :
Time, chaos and the laws of nature….Pages 3-9
Natural laws and human prediction….Pages 10-33
Comment on Boris Chirikov’s paper “Natural laws and human prediction”….Pages 34-35
Natural laws and the physics of complex systems comments on the report by B. Chirikov….Pages 36-39
Discussion of Boris Chrikov’s paper….Pages 40-46
Under what transformations are laws invariant?….Pages 47-88
Contingency and fundamental laws comment on Paul Weingartner “Under what transformations are laws invariant?”….Pages 89-92
Discussion of Paul Weingartner’s paper….Pages 93-99
The status of determinism in an uncontrollable world….Pages 103-114
Discussion of David Miller’s paper….Pages 115-122
Kinds of unpredictability in deterministic systems….Pages 123-141
Discussion of Gerhard Schurz’ paper….Pages 142-151
Decoherence, determinism and chaos revisited….Pages 152-175
Discussion of H. Pierre Noyes’ paper….Pages 176-188
Photons, billiards and chaos….Pages 189-201
Discussion of Pat Suppes’ paper….Pages 202-207
Chaos: Algorithmic complexity vs. Dynamical instability….Pages 211-235
Discussion of Robert Batterman’s paper….Pages 236-242
On the foundations of synergetics….Pages 243-279
Discussion of Arne Wunderlin’s paper….Pages 280-283