ORDER (Random)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 2391 ▶ |
| Object type | Epistemology, ontology or semantics, Methodology or model |
This somewhat paradoxical notion is explained in the following way by D. BÖHM and F.D. PEAT: “… a random order can be defined as a special case of a chaotic order. It has the following characteristics:
1. It is of infinite degree
2. It has no significant correlations or stretches of suborder of low degree
3. It has a fairly constant average behavior and tends to vary within a limited domain. This domain remains more or less constant, or else it changes slowly“ (1987, p.127).
The authors state: “This definition of random order accounts well for the distribution of shots from a fixed gun”.
However, they recognize that: “… if the context is extended, then each shot becomes more nearly predictable. For example, if the wind velocity is measured, or if variations in the gun emplacement are observed, then more information is available to determine the new context and individual variations can be calculated. This emphsizes again that the notion of randomness is inherently context-dependent” (Ibid.).
In synthesis, in conformity with chaos theory, there is no absolute randomness (i.e. randomness of infinite degree), nor absolutely predictable order.