Deterministic
A system or process whose future state is completely determined by its current state and governing rules, with no random elements. Given the same initial conditions, a deterministic system always produces the same outcome.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 4 chapters:
"Late-successional (climax) species dominate eventually (shade-tolerant trees, old-growth characteristics) The pattern isn't random. It's deterministic. Different locations experience different timing, but the sequence is predictable. Understanding succession is understanding how ecosystems mature fr..."
"...ausing random fluctuations to dominate evolutionary trajectories. This creates a fundamental tension at the heart of evolution. Natural selection is deterministic - given the same environment and the same variants, it will consistently favor certain traits over others."
"This illustrates that fitness landscapes can have multiple paths to the same peak - molecular convergence is less deterministic than morphological convergence because many genetic mutations can produce similar phenotypes (the observable physical and physiological traits of..."
"...hird, BHP conducts detailed scenario planning and stress testing, recognizing that emergent market dynamics can produce outcomes outside the range of deterministic forecasts. A more complex challenge involves the emergence of organizational culture and norms. In 2015, the failure of the Fundão tailings dam at t..."
Biological Context
Classical mechanics is deterministic; quantum mechanics is not. Many biological models include both deterministic components (predictable responses to stimuli) and stochastic components (random variation). Real biological systems usually involve both, with randomness more important at small scales.
Business Application
Business planning often assumes deterministic outcomes, but real markets involve substantial randomness. Distinguishing what's controllable (deterministic) from what's random (stochastic) prevents both overconfidence and unnecessary paralysis.