Limits of Predictability [Paperback]

One of the driving forces behind much of modern science andtechnology is the desire to foresee and thereby control thefuture. In recent years, however, it has become clear that,even in a deterministic world, there is alimit to theaccuracy with which we can predict the future. This bookdetails, in a largely nontechnical style, the extent towhich we can predict the future development of variousphysical, biological and socio-economic processes.One of the driving forces behind much of modern science andtechnology is the desire to foresee and thereby control thefuture. In recent years, however, it has become clear that,even in a deterministic world, there is alimit to theaccuracy with which we can predict the future. This bookdetails, in a largely nontechnical style, the extent towhich we can predict the future development of variousphysical, biological and socio-economic processes.1. Introduction.- References.- 2. Forecasting Weather and Climate.- 2.1 Weather and Climate.- 2.2 Dynamical Systems and Their Properties.- 2.3 Weather Predictability.- 2.4 Elements of Stationary Random Process Prediction Theory.- 2.5 Predictability of Climatic Processes.- 2.6 Ways to Improve Statistical Forecasting.- 2.7 Utilization of Forecasting Results.- 2.8 Conclusion.- References.- 3. How an Active Autowave Medium Can Be Used to Predict the Future.- 3.1 Prediction.- 3.2 Active Autowave Media.- 3.3 Autowave Propagation in Energy-Restoring Active Media.- 3.4 Dynamics of Autowave Interaction.- 3.5 The External Medium Model and Its Fourier Image.- 3.6 Non-isochronism of Cyclic Processes.- 3.7 Harmonious Modulation and Modulation of Harmonics.- 3.8 The Fourier Image Cleared by the Active Autowave Medium.- References.- 4. Synergetics, Predictability and Deterministic Chaos.- 4.1 Dynamical Chaos.- 4.2 Nonlinearity and Open Systems Behavior.- 4.3 Synergetics and Order Parameters.- 4.4 Strangeness of the Strange Attractors.- 4.5 Dynamical Chaos andlÈ