Wikipedia
In mathematics and particularly in dynamic systems, an initial condition, in some contexts called a seed value, is a value of an evolving variable at some point in time designated as the initial time (typically denoted t = 0). For a system of order k (the number of time lags in discrete time, or the order of the largest derivative in continuous time) and dimension n (that is, with n different evolving variables, which together can be denoted by an n-dimensional coordinate vector), generally nk initial conditions are needed in order to trace the system's variables forward through time.
In both differential equations in continuous time and difference equations in discrete time, initial conditions affect the value of the dynamic variables ( state variables) at any future time. In continuous time, the problem of finding a closed form solution for the state variables as a function of time and of the initial conditions is called the initial value problem. A corresponding problem exists for discrete time situations. While a closed form solution is not always possible to obtain, future values of a discrete time system can be found by iterating forward one time period per iteration, though rounding error may make this impractical over long horizons.
Usage examples of "initial condition".
So the disorder of the pieces will probably increase with time if the pieces obey the initial condition that they start off in a condition of high order.
Maia saw with mild chagrin that she had chosen a losing sequence for her initial condition.
Switching the Field on and off was equivalent to an elongation and contraction of the ship carrying the generator, but there was an hysteretic effect, as it were, and the initial condition was never quite reproducible, owing to all the thousands of electrical changes and movements of mass aboard the ship while the Field was on.
We must accept the problem as a given initial condition, and not concern ourselves as to its cause until more information is available.