A Mathematical Model for the Dynamics and Synchronization of Cows

We formulate a mathematical model for daily activities of a cow (eating, lying down, and standing) in terms of a piecewise affine dynamical system. We analyze the properties of this bovine dynamical system representing the single animal and develop an exact integrative form as a discrete-time mapping. We then couple multiple cow "oscillators" together to study synchrony and cooperation in cattle herds. We comment on the relevant biology and discuss extensions of our model. With this abstract approach, we not only investigate equations with interesting dynamics but also develop interesting biological predictions. In particular, our model illustrates that it is possible for cows to synchronize \emph{less} when the coupling is increased.Comment: to appear in Physica

Developing a flexible and expressive realtime polyphonic wave terrain synthesis instrument based on a visual and multidimensional methodology

The Jitter extended library for Max/MSP is distributed with a gamut of tools for the generation, processing, storage, and visual display of multidimensional data structures. With additional support for a wide range of media types, and the interaction between these mediums, the environment presents a perfect working ground for Wave Terrain Synthesis. This research details the practical development of a realtime Wave Terrain Synthesis instrument within the Max/MSP programming environment utilizing the Jitter extended library. Various graphical processing routines are explored in relation to their potential use for Wave Terrain Synthesis

Visualizing Astrophysical N-body Systems

I begin with a brief history of N-body simulation and visualization and then go on to describe various methods for creating images and animations of modern simulations in cosmology and galactic dynamics. These techniques are incorporated into a specialized particle visualization software library called MYRIAD that is designed to render images within large parallel N-body simulations as they run. I present several case studies that explore the application of these methods to animations of star clusters, interacting galaxies and cosmological structure formation.Comment: 25 pages, accepted in the New Journal of Physics for upcoming Focus issue on Visualization in Physics. Accompanying animations including a free bittorrent download of the DVD GRAVITAS are available at http://www.galaxydynamics.org/gravitas.htm

Spatial discretizations of generic dynamical systems

How is it possible to read the dynamical properties (ie when the time goes to infinity) of a system on numerical simulations? To try to answer this question, we study in this manuscript a model reflecting what happens when the orbits of a discrete time system $f$ (for example an homeomorphism) are computed numerically . The computer working in finite numerical precision, it will replace $f$ by a spacial discretization of $f$, denoted by $f_N$ (where the order $N$ of discretization stands for the numerical accuracy). In particular, we will be interested in the dynamical behaviour of the finite maps $f_N$ for a generic system $f$ and $N$ going to infinity, where generic will be taken in the sense of Baire (mainly among sets of homeomorphisms or $C^1$-diffeomorphisms). The first part of this manuscript is devoted to the study of the dynamics of the discretizations $f_N$, when $f$ is a generic conservative/dissipative homeomorphism of a compact manifold. We show that it would be mistaken to try to recover the dynamics of $f$ from that of a single discretization $f_N$ : its dynamics strongly depends on the order $N$. To detect some dynamical features of $f$, we have to consider all the discretizations $f_N$ when $N$ goes through $\mathbf N$. The second part deals with the linear case, which plays an important role in the study of $C^1$-generic diffeomorphisms, discussed in the third part of this manuscript. Under these assumptions, we obtain results similar to those established in the first part, though weaker and harder to prove.Comment: 322 pages. This is an improved version of the thesis of the author (among others, the introduction and conclusion have been translated into English). In particular, it contains works already published on arXiv. Comments welcome