[sdiy] What is chaos?

[Don Tillman]

   > Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2007 18:29:36 -0800
   > From: John Richetta <jrichetta at earthlink.net>
   > 
   > But note this important point: chaotic systems are, essentially
   > always, systems with feedback, and an amplifying regime which
   > also exhibits some nonlinear behavior.

There are lots of simple mechanical systems that show serious chaotic
behavior with no feedback at all.  Like a chaotic pendulum, the
movement of multiple bodies with gravitational/magnetic/electrostatic
forces between them, fluid turbulence, navigating on the surface of a
sphere, anything that wraps over multiple cycles.

Sure, you probably need feedback to simulate that stuff in the analog
or digitial domain, but you don't need feedback to actually be that
stuff.

   > Anyway, chaotic systems are underutilized in synthesis, including
   > analog circuitry, IMO.

Dude, there's a lot that's underutilized in synthesis.  :-)

   > If you want to experiment, build a feedback system with some gain
   > and nonlinearity (and what circuit isn't nonlinear?): you can
   > usually elicit chaos from such a circuit.

Or from an electric guitar and a loud amplifier.  :-)

  -- Don

-- 
Don Tillman
Palo Alto, California
don at till.com
http://www.till.com