Computer-aided analysis of high-dimensional Glass networks: Periodicity, chaos, and bifurcations in a ring circuit

Glass networks model systems of variables that interact via sharp switching. A body of theory has been developed over several decades that, in principle, allows rigorous proof of dynamical properties in high dimensions that is not normally feasible in nonlinear dynamical systems. Previous work has, however, used examples of dimensions no higher than 6 to illustrate the methods. Here, we show that the same tools can be applied in dimensions at least as high as 20. An important application of Glass networks is to a recently proposed design of a true random number generator that is based on an intrinsically chaotic electronic circuit. In order for analysis to be meaningful for the application, the dimension must be at least 20. Bifurcation diagrams show what appear to be periodic and chaotic bands. Here, we demonstrate that the analytic tools for Glass networks can be used to rigorously show where periodic orbits are lost and the types of bifurcations that occur there. The main tools are linear algebra and the stability theory of Poincaré maps. All main steps can be automated, and we provide computer code. The methods reviewed here have the potential for many other applications involving sharply switching interactions, such as artificial neural networks.