Chaos Lab

Discrete map · 1D · dim 1

Logistic map

Robert May's 1976 review introduced this one-parameter quadratic family as the canonical example of complex dynamics from simple rules. It is the type-specimen of the period-doubling route to chaos and the source of the Feigenbaum constants.

Bifurcation diagram of the logistic map, r ∈ [2.5, 4]. Period-doubling cascade visible from r ≈ 3 to r∞ ≈ 3.57.

Equations

x_{n+1} = r · x_n · (1 − x_n)

At a glance

Parametersr ∈ [0, 4]
Chaotic forr ≈ 3.5699 ≤ r ≤ 4 (chaotic windows and periodic islands)
Lyapunov exponentλ(r = 4) = ln 2 ≈ 0.6931
HistoryMay (1976), Feigenbaum (1978).

Try it

Open the interactive playground at /tools/logistic.

See also

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