Re: chaos text

[brian whatcott <inet@INTELLISYS.NET>]

At 20:21 3/31/00 -0800, you wrote:
> ... what is the best way to go
> about studying non-linear systems?  I am a psychology
> and linguistics double major with a math and physics
> double minor.  I want to bring the rigor and
> analytical thinking of the latter two fields to bear
> on the first two....
> Zach Wolff

I came across an amusing if cynical proposition recently,
to the effect that most natural phenomena are non-linear,
but most physics & engineering are about linear models.

A clear example of looking for the dropped coin under the
street light, one could say.

 Quite unfair, I'm sure. Arguably, transcendental functions
are the glue of physics models, and integral equations
are the stuff held together thereby: both quite non linear.

   But then again....there are non-linearities of various
kinds.   In fact, I regret letting go of a stray comment
written recently to this list to that effect.


brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>
Altus OK