catastrophe theory

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. a theory, based on topology, for studying discontinuous processes and the mathematical models that describe them.

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catastrophe theory British  

noun

1. 1. a mathematical theory that classifies surfaces according to their form

   2. the popular application of this theory to the explanation of abruptly changing phenomena, as by the discontinuity of a line on the topmost fold of a folded surface

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Etymology

Origin of catastrophe theory

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Gould, who has focused in his research on catastrophe theory — a physiological theory that attempts to explain the connection between stress and athletic performance, said when an athlete is confident, their bodies and minds can handle more stress.

From Washington Times

Mathematicians call it “catastrophe theory.”

From Washington Post

I was at a meeting on singularities in Liverpool and listening to a lecture by René Thom on catastrophe theory when the landing took place.

From Fox News

Google makes him mad, as does Silicon Valley more broadly, and his ire is directed at the “new catastrophe theory” which holds “that artificial intelligence will make human minds obsolete, and that we’ll soon produce machine-learning tools and robotics that excel the capabilities of human brains.”

From The Wall Street Journal

He said he strove to be “especially egregious,” by maundering on about “the dialectical emphases” of “catastrophe theory” becoming a “concrete tool of progressive political praxis.”

From Washington Post