The many facets of Poincare recurrence theorem of the logistic map

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to illustrate the many aspects of Poincare recurrence time theorem for an archetype of a complex system, the logistic map.Design/methodology/approachAt the beginning of the twentieth century, Poincare's recurrence theorem had revolutionized modern mechanics and statistical physics. However, this theorem did not attract considerable attention, at least from a numerical and computational point of view. In a series of relatively recent papers, Balakrishnan, Nicolis and Nicolis have addressed the recurrence time problem in a firm basis, introducing notation, theory, and numerical studies. Motivated by this call, the paper proposes to illustrate the many aspects of Poincare recurrence time theorem for an archetype of a complex system, the logistic map. The authors propose here in different tests and computations, each one illuminating the many aspects of the problem of recurrence. The paper ends up with a short discussion and conclusions.FindingsIn this paper, the authors obtain new results on computations, each one illuminating the many aspects of the problem of recurrence. One striking aspect of this detailed work, is that when the sizes of the cells in the phase space became considerable, then the recurrence times assume ordinary values.Originality/valueThe paper extends previous results on chaotic maps to the logistic map, enhancing comprehension, making possible connections with number theory, combinatorics and cryptography.