The Closure Problem

The Closure Problem refers to a challenge in modeling complex systems, like turbulence or weather, where the equations involve unknown averages or correlations. To solve these equations, scientists need to express these unknowns in terms of known quantities. However, doing so creates an endless loop — each approximation leads to more unknowns, requiring further assumptions. Essentially, it’s like trying to complete a puzzle where each piece depends on missing pieces, making it difficult to find a precise, self-contained solution without additional assumptions or models.