INDETERMINACY
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1631 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
Condition of a system such as“…there exist no determining formula whereby future state descriptions are completely and necessarily implied by present data” (D. Mac KAY, 1969, p.147).
Mac KAY understands that indeterminacy is a condition more extreme than unpredictability, which may result when a “completely determining formula” exists, but with an insufficient knowledge of the “relevant initial conditions” or insufficient computing capacity.
It is arguable if “indetermined” means “totally indeterminable”. Complex systems with a number of independent initial variables (i.e. initially independent) may be submitted to a general determinism, which however allows for numerous unpredictable situations within its own limits.
This is the chaotic determinism situation.