How Fast Does Chaos Grow?
Two almost-identical starting points. What happens next?
The Lyapunov exponent puts a number on the butterfly effect.
The Divergence Experiment
Start two logistic map trajectories at x = 0.5000 and x = 0.5001 - differing by only 0.0001. How quickly do they separate?
Parameter r = 3.20 (periodic regime)
2.53.03.574.0Try r > 3.57 for chaos!What do you predict will happen to trajectories that start 0.0001 apart?
Try it! Adjust r and run the experiment to see chaos in action!