Boolean Delay Equations: A simple way of looking at complex systems

Boolean Delay Equations (BDEs) are semi-discrete dynamical models with Boolean-valued variables that evolve in continuous time. Systems of BDEs can be classified into conservative or dissipative, in a manner that parallels the classification of ordinary or partial differential equations. Solutions to certain conservative BDEs exhibit growth of complexity in time. They represent therewith metaphors for biological evolution or human history. Dissipative BDEs are structurally stable and exhibit multiple equilibria and limit cycles, as well as more complex, fractal solution sets, such as Devil's staircases and ``fractal sunbursts``. All known solutions of dissipative BDEs have stationary variance. BDE systems of this type, both free and forced, have been used as highly idealized models of climate change on interannual, interdecadal and paleoclimatic time scales. BDEs are also being used as flexible, highly efficient models of colliding cascades in earthquake modeling and prediction, as well as in genetics. In this paper we review the theory of systems of BDEs and illustrate their applications to climatic and solid earth problems. The former have used small systems of BDEs, while the latter have used large networks of BDEs. We moreover introduce BDEs with an infinite number of variables distributed in space (``partial BDEs``) and discuss connections with other types of dynamical systems, including cellular automata and Boolean networks. This research-and-review paper concludes with a set of open questions.Comment: Latex, 67 pages with 15 eps figures. Revised version, in particular the discussion on partial BDEs is updated and enlarge

From the viscous Cahn-Hilliard equation to a regularized forward-backward parabolic equation

A rigorous proof is given for the convergence of the solutions of a viscous Cahn-Hilliard system to the solution of the regularized version of the forward-backward parabolic equation, as the coefficient of the diffusive term goes to 0. Non-homogenous Neumann boundary condition are handled for the chemical potential and the subdifferential of a possible non-smooth double-well functional is considered in the equation. An error estimate for the difference of solutions is also proved in a suitable norm and with a specified rate of convergence.Comment: Key words and phrases: Cahn-Hilliard system, forward-backward parabolic equation, viscosity, initial-boundary value problem, asymptotic analysis, well-posednes

Sharp estimates for the global attractor of scalar reaction-diffusion equations with a Wentzell boundary condition

In this paper, we derive optimal upper and lower bounds on the dimension of the attractor AW for scalar reaction-diffusion equations with a Wentzell (dynamic) boundary condition. We are also interested in obtaining explicit bounds about the constants involved in our asymptotic estimates, and to compare these bounds to previously known estimates for the dimension of the global attractor AK; K \in {D;N; P}, of reactiondiffusion equations subject to Dirichlet, Neumann and periodic boundary conditions. The explicit estimates we obtain show that the dimension of the global attractor AW is of different order than the dimension of AK; for each K \in {D;N; P} ; in all space dimensions that are greater or equal than three.Comment: to appear in J. Nonlinear Scienc

Minimality properties of set-valued processes and their pullback attractors

We discuss the existence of pullback attractors for multivalued dynamical systems on metric spaces. Such attractors are shown to exist without any assumptions in terms of continuity of the solution maps, based only on minimality properties with respect to the notion of pullback attraction. When invariance is required, a very weak closed graph condition on the solving operators is assumed. The presentation is complemented with examples and counterexamples to test the sharpness of the hypotheses involved, including a reaction-diffusion equation, a discontinuous ordinary differential equation and an irregular form of the heat equation.Comment: 33 pages. A few typos correcte

Polynomial cubic differentials and convex polygons in the projective plane

We construct and study a natural homeomorphism between the moduli space of polynomial cubic differentials of degree d on the complex plane and the space of projective equivalence classes of oriented convex polygons with d+3 vertices. This map arises from the construction of a complete hyperbolic affine sphere with prescribed Pick differential, and can be seen as an analogue of the Labourie-Loftin parameterization of convex RP^2 structures on a compact surface by the bundle of holomorphic cubic differentials over Teichmuller space.Comment: 64 pages, 5 figures. v3: Minor revisions according to referee report. v2: Corrections in section 5 and related new material in appendix