The problem of determinism in classical mechanics elucidates some of the subtleties of determining if a system is deterministic. Newton's mechanics is often reported as a deterministic system, in the usual sense that given the state of the system at some time, the state of the system at all future times can be calculated. Of course, chaotic
Laplace said that:
But, interestingly, Laplace had enough insight to see some of there may be limitations in predictive ability.
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy notes that while the study of determinism in Newtonian mechanics doesn't tell us whether our world is actually deterministic, it helps elucidate some of the complexities associated with such discussion of determinism.
Space Invaders edit
"Space invaders" are based on the idea that in Newtonian mechanics, particles can move infinitely fast.
Norton's dome edit
Norton's dome is an supposed example of a non-deterministic system within the bounds of Newtonian mechanics. It was devised by John D. Norton and first discussed in his paper Causation as Folk Science.[1] This particular
Further reading edit
Earman, John. Primer on Determinism (1986)
References edit
- ^ Norton, John D. (November 2003). "Causation as Folk Science". Philosopher's Imprint. 3 (4). hdl:2027/spo.3521354.0003.004. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
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