MA303

Chaos and Dynamical Systems

Exercises 3
1. For each of the following functions, zero lies on a periodic or eventually periodic orbit.
Classify this orbit as attracting, repelling or neutral:
(a) f (x) = x2 1;
(b) f (x) = 2 cos x;
(c) f (x) = |x 2| 1;
(d) f (x) = 4 arctan(x + 1);
(e) f (x) = x + 1 for x 7/2 and f (x) = 2x 8 for x > 7/2;
(f) f (x) = 3x(1 x).
2. Suppose that f has a neutral fixed point at x0 with f (x0 ) = 1 and f (x0 ) > 0. Is x0 weakly
attracting, weakly repelling or neither? Use graphical analysis and the convexity of the graph
near x0 to support your answer. Repeat in the case where f (x0 ) = 1 and f (x0 ) < 0.
3. Suppose x0 lies on a cycle of prime period n for the doubling function d (as defined in
Exercises 1). Thus x0 is a fixed point of d n but is not a fixed point of d k for any k < n. Evaluate
(d n ) (x0 ). Is the cycle attracting or repelling?
2
4*. Show that the function f (x) = x+ln
1+ln x has a unique fixed point in the interval [1, 2]. [There
are two possible approaches: you could prove existence by the Intermediate Value Theorem and
uniqueness by examining the sign of the derivative of f (x) x; or you could use the Contraction
Mapping Theorem.]

Use iteration to determine the fixed point to 4 decimal places. (You are not required to prove
that your answer is accurate to 4 decimal places.)
5. Extra, not required. Let I be a closed interval in R (so that I is of the form [a, b], or [a, +),
or (, b] or (, +)). Let f : I I be a contraction map.
(a) Show that f must be continuous. [Hint: take a sequence xn converging to x as n and
consider the sequence f (xn ). Your task is to show that f (xn ) f (x) as n .]
(b) Show that f need not be differentiable. [Hint: find an example of a function which is a
contraction map on some closed interval I but is not differentiable at all x I.]
c LSE 2011 / MA303

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