Scribd
Upload
2 views

Intro

The document discusses the concepts of chaos and dynamical systems in classical mechanics, highlighting the unpredictability that arises from deterministic laws. It explains how simple systems can exhibit complex behaviors and the significance of initial conditions in chaotic systems. The text also introduces the Butterfly Effect and the conditions necessary for chaos to occur in dynamical systems.

Uploaded by

asafali14sarcasam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
2 views

Intro

The document discusses the concepts of chaos and dynamical systems in classical mechanics, highlighting the unpredictability that arises from deterministic laws. It explains how simple systems can exhibit complex behaviors and the significance of initial conditions in chaotic systems. The text also introduces the Butterfly Effect and the conditions necessary for chaos to occur in dynamical systems.

Uploaded by

asafali14sarcasam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 28

IDC402

�������������������������������
����
��������������������

�
I Mid-semester Exam : 25
I Term Paper : 30
I End-semester Exam : 45

Lectures on Mondays & Tuesdays

Tutorials/Hands-on Computing Interaction Session on Thursdays


& Fridays: aim to discuss/clear doubts and do small computations
I Classical Phenomena

I Concept of Chaos : a new frontier in Classical Dynamics


I Eternal quest : seeking to forsee the future
Namely, to predict and forecast

I Relies on regularity of observed temporal phenomena


I Newton’s laws of motion revolutionised science (over 300
years!)
I Holds over scales ranging from nanomechanical oscillators to
astrophysical objects
I They generate a dynamical system governed by differential
equations
I This is still the ideal way to model a system that evolves in
time
I Given a starting conditions a unique future can be predicted
I Suppose the universe is made up of particles of matter
interacting according to Newton’s laws
I Then it is a dynamical system, governed by a very large set of
differential equations
I Given the starting positions and velocities of all particles :
unique outcome
I Pierre Laplace, a mathematician, wrote extensively about the
Clockwork Universe
Paradigm shift: Unpredictability and its relation with Determinism

New concept: CHAOS

Dictionary meaning of chaos:


a state of things in which chance is supreme ;
confused, unorganized state
In mechanics Newton’s laws allows precise analytical formulation of
two problems:

I Simple Pendulum

I Two Body Problem


One small increase in complexity leads to chaos:

I Double Pendulum

I Three Body problem


Long exposure of Double Pendulum exhibiting chaotic motion
(tracked with an LED)

(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/Cristian V.)


DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS

A Dynamical System may be defined as a deterministic


mathematical prescription for evolving the state of a system
forward in time

I Discrete Time Dynamics: MAPS

Described by Iterated Functions xn+1 = F (xn )


where iterate number n is an integer : n = 0, 1, 2, . . .
Function F maps the state xn at time (iterate number) n to
the state xn+1 at the next time step n + 1

I Continuous Time Dynamics: FLOWS


dX
Described by differential equations: dt = F (x)
This is a dynamical system because for any initial state of the
system we can in principle solve the equations to obtain the future
system of the system :

ORBIT, TRAJECTORY , FLOW


REGULAR AND IRREGULAR CLASSICAL
MOTION

Two contrasting types of motion


Regular Motion : exemplified by the one-dimensional oscillator

Physical realization :

I Pendulum — epitome of predictability


“Regular as clockwork”!

I Elliptical orbits of the planets


Irregular Motion : exemplified by the motion of colliding molecules
in a gas

UNPREDICTABLE : neighbouring trajectories separate


exponentially

Extreme Sensitivity to Initial Conditions


Surprising consequences :

For example: Collisions of hard discs in a plane

Even specifying initial conditions with a relative error of one part in


a million will ensure predictability for (roughly) only six collisions

Distinction between regularity and irregularity embodied in the


geometry of typical trajectories in the system’s phase space over
infinitely long times
Surprise : Large range of seemingly simple natural processes, for
which the laws of motion are known and completely deterministic,
can exhibit enormously complex behavior

Often appearing as if they were evolving under random forces


rather than deterministic laws

Result with far reaching consequences : some simple processes,


although completely deterministic, are essentially unpredictable
Lead to a “new science”, known popularly as chaos

This discipline has given us deep insights into previously


intractable, inherently nonlinear, natural phenomena

Chaos has caused a fundamental reassessment of the way in which


we view the physical world
Observed Complexity in diverse areas raises fundamental questions

I Simple laws lead to richly intricate structures:


HOW ?

I Such structures are ubiquitous in the physical world: WHY ?

I Occurs even in the simplest of nonlinear evolution equations

I Such intricate complicated structures ( complex, chaotic,


seemingly random . . . ) embody their own simple ( universal,
scale-invariant . . . ) laws.
I Does god play dice?

I Butterfly Effect

The flapping of the wings of a tiny butterfly today in India,


changes the state of the atmosphere.
Over a period of time the atmosphere diverges from what it
would have done, and may be that small event causes a
tornado to occur in China.
Challenges notions of:

I Determinism

I Irregular Patterns : Random or deterministic chaos?


Deterministic Chaos explored via
I “Experminental Math” or “Numerical Experiments”

I Vast Variety of Laboratory Experiments:

Electrical Circuits, Chemical Sytems, Fluids, Lasers, Neuronal


systems
N : dimension of the dynamical system ; degrees of freedom

Question : How large does N have to be in order for Chaos to be


possible ?

For a system whose dynamics is described by N first-order


autonomous Ordinary Differential Equations, the smallest system
capable of displaying chaos is N = 3.

N≥3

is the necessary condition for Chaos


Long exposure of Double Pendulum exhibiting chaotic motion
(tracked with an LED)

(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/Cristian V.)


For maps X n+1 = F X n

where X = {X1 , X2 . . . XN }

If invertible i.e. if its inverse F −1 exists and is unique

Can get chaos for N≥2


For instance

xn+1 = f (xn ) − Jyn (1)


yn+1 = xn (2)

Invertible if J 6= 0:

xn = yn+1 (3)
−1
yn = J [f (yn+1 ) − xn+1 ] (4)
If the Map F is non-invertible

i.e. if its inverse F −1 does not exist or is not unique

Can get chaos for N≥1

For instance, a simple model for population growth can yield a


wide range of complex dynamics

xn+1 = F (xn ) = r xn (1 − xn )

One obtains Steady States, Cyclic behaviour of different


periodicities, as well as Chaos, as the nonlinearity parameter r is
varied
One dimensional non-invertible maps are the simplest systems
capable of chaotic motion

Dynamics of Iterated maps : produced by putting a number


through a function then taking the result and putting it through
the function again, then repeating

I Convenient starting point

I Surprisingly large proportion of the phenomena encountered in


higher dimensional systems is already present in 1-d maps

You might also like