initial conditions
Beginning system parameters
Initial conditions are the state of a system at the starting point of analysis—the values of all relevant variables before anything changes.
In physics or mathematics, knowing the initial conditions lets you predict how a system will evolve: Given these initial conditions, we can solve the differential equation.
The term gained popular currency through chaos theory, where tiny differences in initial conditions produce vastly different outcomes—the butterfly effect.
- seedEmbryonic plant capsule
- determinismDoctrine of causal necessity
- chaos theoryStudy of sensitive dependence
- butterfly effectSmall inputs, disproportionate results
- sensitive dependenceSmall inputs, large divergences
differential equations · trigger · point of origin · spark · first domino · perturbations · simulation · causality · thought experiments · starting point · fresh start · clean slate · blank canvas · starting lineup · constraints · sensitivity · kickoff · setup
- PDEsDirichlet problem, Schrodinger equation, Boltzmann equation, conservation laws
- conditionsweather, climate, health, wellness, fitness
- climate modelsclimate model, forecast model, weather model, ensemble, grid cell
- recursionrecursion, base case, self-reference, infinite recursion, recurrence relation
- weather modelingweather prediction, weather modeling, forecast models, forecasting, forecasts
- wave physicswavelength, wave function, frequency, wave speed, wave front
initial conditionsend state
Final achieved condition
outcome · final outcome · endpoint · conclusion · endgame
initial conditionsoutcomes
Final results achieved
results · effects · consequences · outputs · end results
initial conditionssteady state
Unchanging system condition
equilibrium · emergent behavior · dynamic equilibrium · boundary conditions
condition, initial, initiative, conditions, initiate, initiation, initially, conditioning, conditional