MA303

Chaos and Dynamical Systems

Exercises 1

1. Let f (x) = x2 . Compute f 2 (x), f 3 (x), and f 4 (x). What is the formula for f n (x) for n N?
2. Let a(x) = |x|. Compute a2 (x) and a3 (x). Find all the points that are eventually fixed.
The next three questions concern the doubling function d given by d(x) = 2x for 0 x < 1/2
and d(x) = 2x 1 for 1/2 x < 1.
3. For each of the following seeds, discuss the behaviour of the resulting orbit under d: (a)
x0 = 3/10; (b) x0 = 7/10; (c) x0 = 1/8; (d) x0 = 1/16; (e) x0 = 1/7; (f) x0 = 1/14; (g) x0 = 1/11;
(h) x0 = 3/22.
4. Give an explicit formula for d 2 (x) and d 3 (x). Sketch the graph of d 2 and d 3 .
5. Find all fixed points for d 2 and d 3 . How many fixed points will d 4 and d 5 have?
6*. Can you write down a general formula for d n (x) for n N? What will the graph of d n for
n N look like? How many fixed points will d n have for n N?
7. What are the fixed points of f (x) = x2 1? What are the cycles of prime period 2 for f ?

c LSE 2011 / MA303

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