Damage spreading in 2-dimensional isotropic and anisotropic Bak-Sneppen models

We implement the damage spreading technique on 2-dimensional isotropic and anisotropic Bak-Sneppen models. Our extensive numerical simulations show that there exists a power-law sensitivity to the initial conditions at the statistically stationary state (self-organized critical state). Corresponding growth exponent $\alpha$ for the Hamming distance and the dynamical exponent $z$ are calculated. These values allow us to observe a clear data collapse of the finite size scaling for both versions of the Bak-Sneppen model. Moreover, it is shown that the growth exponent of the distance in the isotropic and anisotropic Bak-Sneppen models is strongly affected by the choice of the transient time.Comment: revised version, 9 pages, 5 eps figures, use of svjour.st

Two-dimensional maps at the edge of chaos: Numerical results for the Henon map

The mixing properties (or sensitivity to initial conditions) of two-dimensional Henon map have been explored numerically at the edge of chaos. Three independent methods, which have been developed and used so far for the one-dimensional maps, have been used to accomplish this task. These methods are (i)measure of the divergence of initially nearby orbits, (ii)analysis of the multifractal spectrum and (iii)computation of nonextensive entropy increase rates. The obtained results strongly agree with those of the one-dimensional cases and constitute the first verification of this scenario in two-dimensional maps. This obviously makes the idea of weak chaos even more robust.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Damage spreading in the Bak-Sneppen model: Sensitivity to the initial conditions and equilibration dynamics

The short-time and long-time dynamics of the Bak-Sneppen model of biological evolution are investigated using the damage spreading technique. By defining a proper Hamming distance measure, we are able to make it exhibits an initial power-law growth which, for finite size systems, is followed by a decay towards equilibrium. In this sense, the dynamics of self-organized critical states is shown to be similar to the one observed at the usual critical point of continuous phase-transitions and at the onset of chaos of non-linear low-dimensional dynamical maps. The transient, pre-asymptotic and asymptotic exponential relaxation of the Hamming distance between two initially uncorrelated equilibrium configurations is also shown to be fitted within a single mathematical framework. A connection with nonextensive statistical mechanics is exhibited.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figs, revised version, accepted for publication in Int.J.Mod.Phys.C 14 (2003

On the relevance of q-distribution functions: The return time distribution of restricted random walker

There exist a large literature on the application of $q$-statistics to the out-of-equilibrium non-ergodic systems in which some degree of strong correlations exists. Here we study the distribution of first return times to zero, $P_R(0,t)$, of a random walk on the set of integers $\{0,1,2,...,L\}$ with a position dependent transition probability given by $|n/L|^a$. We find that for all values of $a\in[0,2]$ $P_R(0,t)$ can be fitted by $q$-exponentials, but only for $a=1$ is $P_R(0,t)$ given exactly by a $q$-exponential in the limit $L\rightarrow\infty$. This is a remarkable result since the exact analytical solution of the corresponding continuum model represents $P_R(0,t)$ as a sum of Bessel functions with a smooth dependence on $a$ from which we are unable to identify $a=1$ as of special significance. However, from the high precision numerical iteration of the discrete Master Equation, we do verify that only for $a=1$ is $P_R(0,t)$ exactly a $q$-exponential and that a tiny departure from this parameter value makes the distribution deviate from $q$-exponential. Further research is certainly required to identify the reason for this result and also the applicability of $q$-statistics and its domain.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures. The replacement correct that two papers in the reference list were not mentioned in the tex

Renormalized entropy for one dimensional discrete maps: periodic and quasi-periodic route to chaos and their robustness

We apply renormalized entropy as a complexity measure to the logistic and sine-circle maps. In the case of logistic map, renormalized entropy decreases (increases) until the accumulation point (after the accumulation point up to the most chaotic state) as a sign of increasing (decreasing) degree of order in all the investigated periodic windows, namely, period-2, 3, and 5, thereby proving the robustness of this complexity measure. This observed change in the renormalized entropy is adequate, since the bifurcations are exhibited before the accumulation point, after which the band-merging, in opposition to the bifurcations, is exhibited. In addition to the precise detection of the accumulation points in all these windows, it is shown that the renormalized entropy can detect the self-similar windows in the chaotic regime by exhibiting abrupt changes in its values. Regarding the sine-circle map, we observe that the renormalized entropy detects also the quasi-periodic regimes by showing oscillatory behavior particularly in these regimes. Moreover, the oscillatory regime of the renormalized entropy corresponds to a larger interval of the nonlinearity parameter of the sine-circle map as the value of the frequency ratio parameter reaches the critical value, at which the winding ratio attains the golden mean.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure

Stationary distributions of sums of marginally chaotic variables as renormalization group fixed points

We determine the limit distributions of sums of deterministic chaotic variables in unimodal maps assisted by a novel renormalization group (RG) framework associated to the operation of increment of summands and rescaling. In this framework the difference in control parameter from its value at the transition to chaos is the only relevant variable, the trivial fixed point is the Gaussian distribution and a nontrivial fixed point is a multifractal distribution with features similar to those of the Feigenbaum attractor. The crossover between the two fixed points is discussed and the flow toward the trivial fixed point is seen to consist of a sequence of chaotic band mergers.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Journal of Physics: Conf.Series (IOP, 2010

Connectivity-Driven Coherence in Complex Networks

We study the emergence of coherence in complex networks of mutually coupled non-identical elements. We uncover the precise dependence of the dynamical coherence on the network connectivity, on the isolated dynamics of the elements and the coupling function. These findings predict that in random graphs, the enhancement of coherence is proportional to the mean degree. In locally connected networks, coherence is no longer controlled by the mean degree, but rather on how the mean degree scales with the network size. In these networks, even when the coherence is absent, adding a fraction s of random connections leads to an enhancement of coherence proportional to s. Our results provide a way to control the emergent properties by the manipulation of the dynamics of the elements and the network connectivity.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Generalization of the Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy: Logistic- and periodic-like maps at the chaos threshold

We numerically calculate, at the edge of chaos, the time evolution of the nonextensive entropic form $S_q \equiv [1-\sum_{i=1}^W p_i^q]/[q-1]$ (with $S_1=-\sum_{i=1}^Wp_i \ln p_i$) for two families of one-dimensional dissipative maps, namely a logistic- and a periodic-like with arbitrary inflexion $z$ at their maximum. At $t=0$ we choose $N$ initial conditions inside one of the $W$ small windows in which the accessible phase space is partitioned; to neutralize large fluctuations we conveniently average over a large amount of initial windows. We verify that one and only one value $q^*<1$ exists such that the $\lim_{t\to\infty} \lim_{W\to\infty} \lim_{N\to\infty} S_q(t)/t$ is {\it finite}, {\it thus generalizing the (ensemble version of) Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy} (which corresponds to $q^*=1$ in the present formalism). This special, $z$-dependent, value $q^*$ numerically coincides, {\it for both families of maps and all $z$}, with the one previously found through two other independent procedures (sensitivity to the initial conditions and multifractal $f(\alpha)$ function).Comment: 6 pages and 6 fig

Nonextensive statistical mechanics, superstatistics and beyond: theory and applications in astrophysical and other complex systems

A brief illustration is presented about the scientific motivation and contributions of this Special Issue

Renormalization group structure for sums of variables generated by incipiently chaotic maps

We look at the limit distributions of sums of deterministic chaotic variables in unimodal maps and find a remarkable renormalization group (RG) structure associated to the operation of increment of summands and rescaling. In this structure - where the only relevant variable is the difference in control parameter from its value at the transition to chaos - the trivial fixed point is the Gaussian distribution and a novel nontrivial fixed point is a multifractal distribution that emulates the Feigenbaum attractor, and is universal in the sense of the latter. The crossover between the two fixed points is explained and the flow toward the trivial fixed point is seen to be comparable to the chaotic band merging sequence. We discuss the nature of the Central Limit Theorem for deterministic variables.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Journal of Statistical Mechanic