- Predictability
Predictability (also called banality) refers to the degree that a correct
prediction orforecast of asystem 's state can be made either qualitatively or quantitatively. While thesecond law of thermodynamics can tell us about theequilibrium state that a system will evolve to, andsteady state s indissipative system s can sometimes be predicted, there exists no general rule to predict thetime evolution of systems far from equilibrium, e.g.chaotic system s, if they do not approach some kind of equilibrium. Their predictability usually deteriorates with time. To quantify predictability, the rate of divergence of system trajectories inphase space can be measured (Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy ,Lyapunov exponent s).
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