Q.Read the following passage on the Catastrophe Theory downloaded from the Internet.
Originated by the French mathematician, Rene Thom, in the 1960s, catastrophe theory is a special branch of dynamical systems theory. It studies and classifies phenomena characterised by sudden shifts in behaviour arising from small changes in circumstances.
Catastrophes are bifurcations between different equilibria, or fixed point attractors. Due to their restricted nature, catastrophes can be classified on the basis of how many control parameters are being simultaneously varied. For example, if there are two controls, then one finds the most common type, called a ‘cusp’ catastrophe. If, however, there are more than five controls, there is no classification.
Catastrophe theory has been applied to a number of different phenomena, such as the stability of ships at sea and their capsizing, bridge collapse, and, with some less convincing success, the fight-or-flight behaviour of animals and prison riots.
Catastrophe theory studies how small changes cause sudden, dramatic shifts (bifurcations) — precisely the mechanism behind the story's alternate history.
After reading the passage, the key points to take away are: catastrophe theory was originated by the French mathematician Rene Thom in the 1960s and is a special branch of dynamical systems theory. It studies and classifies situations where a small change in circumstances produces a sudden, large shift in behaviour — these being bifurcations between different stable states (equilibria). Catastrophes can be classified by how many control parameters vary at once (two controls give the common 'cusp' catastrophe; beyond five controls there is no classification). The theory has been applied to real phenomena such as the capsizing of ships and the collapse of bridges, and, less convincingly, to animal behaviour and prison riots.
The most useful thing is to link this back to the story. Rajendra applies exactly this idea to the Battle of Panipat: the two armies were evenly matched, so a tiny event — whether the bullet hit or missed Vishwasrao — was the 'small change' that caused a sudden bifurcation, sending history down one of two radically different paths. This is what makes the professor's experience a truly 'catastrophic' one.
Catastrophe theory, begun by Rene Thom in the 1960s, studies how small changes in circumstances cause sudden, dramatic shifts (bifurcations) between stable states, and has been applied to things like capsizing ships and collapsing bridges. In the story it explains how one small event at Panipat — the bullet missing Vishwasrao — branched history into a completely different world.
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