Brief definitions of some of these characteristics appear below. This assumption holds true as long as the equation that related the variables is linear in nature, or it is one of a small set of simple, nonlinear equations. These mathematical constructs are not sufficient to describe most complex, nonlinear systems. In some physical systems, it is impossible to determine the value of a second variable, even when a first variable is known. Given the complex interdependencies of a complex or chaotic system, its exact state at some future time is unknowable.
Scientists can investigate a myriad of possible futures, but a unique future state is unknowable.
Participants in any organization will recognize this characteristic of unpredictability. At the beginning of a project, it is impossible to know for sure what the course, outcomes, or unforeseen factors will be. Change agents must investigate multiple possible futures, without knowing which one will become a reality. An individual component of the system influences, and is influenced by, the behavior of other components of the system. Physical scientists call this phenomenon coupling.