  In the past hundred years, chaos has always been a mystery to human beings,
including the butterfly effect discovered in 1963 and the dissipative structure
theory which won the chemistry Nobel Prize in 1977. So far, there is no
quantitative mathematical-physical method to solve and analyze these problems.
In this paper, the idea of using field theory to study nonlinear systems is put
forward, and the concept of generalized potential is established
mathematically. The physical essence of generalized potential promoting the
development of nonlinear field is extended and the spatiotemporal evolution law
of generalized potential is clarified. Then the spatiotemporal evolution law of
conservative system and pure dissipative system is clarified. Acceleration
field, conservative vector field and dissipation vector field are established
to evaluate the degree of conservation and dissipation of physical field.
Finally, the development route of new field research and the precondition of
promoting engineering application in the future are discussed.
