Aim Quote by Rene Thom
“All models divide naturally...into two a priori parts: one is kinematics, whose aim is to parameterize the forms of the states of the process under consideration, and the other is dynamics, describing the evolution in time of these forms.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Structural Stability and Morphogenesis, René Thom, 1972
The quote separates model building into describing static forms (kinematics) and how they change over time (dynamics).
In simple terms: Models have a static and a dynamic part.
Identify both parts when designing a model.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- engineering design
- physics research
- computer simulation
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance static description and dynamic prediction?
- What risks arise if one part is oversimplified?
Ignoring interaction between parts can lead to incomplete models.