LAB 1: DISCRETE MAPS AND NUMERICAL CHAOS

 

Mathematics:

The discrete logistic equation takes the form: xk+1 = r xk (1 – xk), where xk  is a sequence of numbers for k = 1,2,3,…,n in the unit interval: xk (0,1); and r is a bifurcation parameter: r (0,4). If x1 (0,1), then the sequence of xk stays always in the unit interval, iff r (0,4).

 

 

Fixed points x* are defined by the limit: limk -> xk = x*.

For 0 < r < 1, the only fixed point is x* = 0, and the sequence xk  converges to  x* = 0. 

For 1 < r < 4, there are two fixed points: x* = 0 and x* = (r-1)/r. When 1  r  3, the sequence xk  converges to x* = (r-1)/r. However, when 3 < r < 4, the sequence xk  converges to 2-periodic, 4-periodic, multi-periodic, and, ultimately, to chaotic sequences of numbers in the unit interval.

 

Numerical chaos in mathematical sense was introduced to describe the behavior of deterministic systems (such as discrete mappings) that generate a random sequence of numbers. For a chaotic sequence xk , a small change in a starting value x1 results in a huge difference in a value xk for large k > 1, i.e. any error is magnified exponentially. As a result of this sensitivity to the starting conditions, the detailed long-term behavior of the deterministic system becomes unpredictable whenever numerical chaos occurs.

 

Objectives:

·         visualize various sequences of numbers xk   generated from x1 for different values of r

·         construct a bifurcation diagram displaying various regimes of the discrete map for different values of r

·         understand the difference between fixed points, periodic sequences, and chaotic sequences

·         understand the sensitivity of the chaotic sequences to the starting value x1

 

MATLAB script "Cobwebbing pattern for the discrete logistic equation"

 

A typical cobwebbing pattern is shown here:

Steps in writing the MATLAB script:
  1. Initialize a value of parameter r
  2. Plot the line: xk+1 = xk
  3. Plot the curve: xk+1 = r*xk*(1-xk) at the same graph
  4. Initialize a value for x1
  5. Initialize a number of elements in a sequence xk   
  6. Compute numbers xk  in a sequence xk   and save them in a vector.
  7. Plot horizontal and vertical segments of the cowebbing pattern at the same graph.

 

Exploiting the MATLAB script:

  1. Run the script with r = 0.5; 1.5; 2.5; 3.25; 3.5; 3.75 and x1 = 0.25; 0.5; 0.75
  2. Identify fixed-point, periodic, and chaotic regimes in (1) as the large-k behaviour of the sequence.
  3. Check that the fixed-point and periodic regimes do not depend on the starting value x1
  4. Run the script with r = 3.83 and x1=0.5. How many periods does the sequence have?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MATLAB script "Bifurcation diagram for the discrete logistic equation"

 

The discrete logistic equation exhibits the bifurcation diagram called the period-doubling route to chaos. The fixed points become unstable and are replaced by the 2-period, 4-period and other multi-period sequences, with larger values of the bifurcation parameter r. For yet larger values of r, the periodic sequences of numbers become unstable and are replaced by the chaotic sequence of numbers. The period-doubling bifurcation diagram looks like this:

 

 
Steps in writing the MATLAB script:

 

  1. Initialize the minimum and maximum values for an interval of the parameter r.
  2. Initialize the number of points in the interval of r
  3. Loop through the values of r
  4. Initialize the starting value x1 and the number of values xk in a sequence
  5. Compute the values xk in a sequence to settle at a stationary regime
  6. Continue the sequence xk in a stationary regime, save the values xk in a vector
  7. Plot the values of xk versus the same value of r on a graph.

 

 

Exploiting the MATLAB script:

  1. Run the script for 0 < r < 4.
  2. Zoom the details of the chaotic regime by running the script for: 3 < r < 4; 3.5 < r < 4; and for even narrow intervals.
  3. Find narrow intervals of r, where there exist 8-periodic and16-period sequences.
  4. Find stability islands in the sea of numerical chaos. Check that the sequence may have 3-periods, 5-periods in the stability islands.

 

QUIZ: MATLAB script "Sensitivity of chaotic sequences to the starting value"

 

Suppose two sequences xk  and yk  are started with two values x1 and y1, that are close in the sense that e1 = | y1 – x1 | is small. Define an error between the two sequences: ek = | yk – xk |. If the error converges to zero for large k, the stationary regime is stable and deterministic, e.g. a fixed point x*  or a periodic sequence xk . If the error grows or changes unpredictably (in a unit interval), the stationary regime is chaotic and the sequence xk  is sensitive to the starting value x1, e.g. at this picture:

 

 
Steps in writing the MATLAB script:

 

  1. Initialize a value of the bifurcation parameter r
  2. Initialize and compute two sequences xk  and yk   
  3. Compute the error ek between the two sequences
  4. Plot the error ek as function of its index k

 

 

Exploiting the MATLAB script:

Identify whether the stationary regime is deterministic or chaotic for r = 3.4; 3.6; 3.81; 3.83; 3.85.