Edward Lorenz
Edward Norton Lorenz (May 23, 1917 - April 16, 2008) was an American mathematician and meteorologist recognized as one of the founders of chaos theory. Through simplified models of atmospheric dynamics, he discovered sensitivity to initial conditions, popularly known as the butterfly effect, showing how tiny variations can lead to dramatically different outcomes in complex systems. He introduced the famous Lorenz system, whose chaotic trajectories revealed fundamental limits to weather prediction. His ideas transformed meteorology and had a profound impact on physics, mathematics, and the study of nonlinear systems.
Quotes
- Mathematicians seem to have no difficulty in creating new concepts faster than the old ones become well understood, and there will undoubtedly always be many challenging problems to solve. nevertheless, I believed that some of the unsolved meteorological problems were more fundamental, and I felt confident that I could contribute to some of their solutions.
- Chaos: When the present determines the future, but the approximate present does not approximately determine the future.