Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Age-dependent Dynamics of Locomotion in Caenorhabditis elegans: A Lyapunov Exponent Analysis
Published on: September 23, 2025
Paucity of attractors in nonlinear systems driven with complex signals
Shawn D Pethel1, Jonathan N Blakely
1U.S. Army RDECOM, RDMR-WS, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama 35898, USA.
Abstract:
We study the probability of multistability in a quadratic map driven repeatedly by a random signal of length N, where N is taken as a measure of the signal complexity. We first establish analytically that the number of coexisting attractors is bounded above by N. We then numerically estimate the probability p of a randomly chosen signal resulting in a multistable response as a function of N. Interestingly, with increasing drive signal complexity the system exhibits a paucity of attractors. That is, almost any drive signal beyond a certain complexity level will result in a single attractor response (p=0). This mechanism may play a role in allowing sensitive multistable systems to respond consistently to external influences.
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