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BOOK REVIEWS
Edward N. Lorenz, The Essence of Chaos Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1993.
'In trying to write a clear explanation of some point that you think you understand, you may discover that you do not understand it well enough to explain it.' said Edward N. Lorenz to his students. In The Essence of Chaos Professor Lorenz took his own advice seriously.
The book is an exposition of how the author crafted a powerful and ubiquitous theory, now known by the catchy name, 'Chaos'. Edward Lorenz is a brilliant writer, scientist, and mathematician. His deep insights into the subject fill the entire book and occasionally he allows glimpses of the yet-to-be-explored future areas of study. He leaves little doubt that chaos can be linked to regular systems and to much of the random world.
The task of explaining the characteristics of 'chaos' is a formidable one. Lorenz strives to retain mathematical precision in his description without resorting to mathematical rigour and details. His thorough understanding of the subject permits him to write a highly readable text for any lay person. However, for preserving precision of the descriptions and for avoiding ambiguity, the text is at times laboriously lengthy.
The description of the key characteristics of a system that has sensitive dependence enables the reader to gain a sense of having grasped a precise knowledge of what is meant by 'chaos'. An illustrative example of going down a ski slope with moguls improves the readers' understanding of 'chaos' in a more descriptive manner. The introduction of the representation in 'phase space' permits the author to give the reader a taste of the tool for analyzing 'chaos'. But, the reader needs a good solid mathematical background to grasp the full meaning of what the author tries to convey.
The chapter on 'weather' is the highlight of the book. Lorenz demonstrates why the weather forecasters have to battle against the unpredictability of a weather system which has sensitive dependence on initial conditions. His description of 'weather forecast' is fascinating. It explains the Trojan efforts made to improve the accuracy of weather forecasting. It eventually leads the reader to the inevitable conclusion that the unpredictability of weather will continue since the weather system