Dynamical system
Last updated 2026-10-16
Definition A dynamical system is a pair , where is a compact metric space and is a continuous function. Hereafter, assume that is a dynamical system.An important kind of dynamical system is a symbolic dynamical system.
Definition A subset is invariant if .Definition The orbit of a point isDefinition A morphism between two dynamical systems is a continuous function such that .- A bijective morphism is a conjugacy and the systems are conjugate.
- A surjective morphism is a factor map, is a factor of and is an extension of .
- If is injective, is a subsystem of .
Definition A subset is invariant if .Definition The orbit relation is defined asDefinition The recurrence relation is defined asDefinition The nonwandering relation is defined asDefinition The chain relation is defined asTheorem and are transitive.Theorem and are closed.Definition is- minimal if ;
- transitive if ;
- chain-transitive if .
Definition A point is transitive if its orbit is dense, i.e. . The set of all transitive points is denoted .Theorem is minimal iff:- every is transitive;
- does not have a proper subsystem (a set that is closed and invariant).
Theorem is transitive iff:- is residual;
- is non-empty.
Definition Denote by the diagonal of a relation . Then- is the set of periodic points, i.e. a point is periodic if ;
- is the set of recurrent points, i.e. a point is recurrent if ;
- is the set of nonwandering points, i.e. a point is nonwandering if ;
- is the set of chain-recurrent points, i.e. a point is chain-recurrent if .
Theorem are invariant.Theorem are closed.Definition is chaotic if , and is infinite.Definition A point is fixed if .Definition A point is preperiodic if is periodic for some .Definition A point is quasi-periodic if .Definition A point is almost periodic if .Theorem For a given point , the following series of implications holds:Theorem Birkhoff A point is almost periodic iff is a minimal system.Definition A point is equicontinuous ifThe set of all equicontinuous points is denoted . If , is equicontinuous. If is residual, is almost equicontinuous.Definition is sensitive ifNote If is sensitive, then . The inverse implication does not hold.Theorem Akin, Auslander, Berg A transitive system is either sensitive or almost equicontinuous.Definition A dynamical system is open if is open for all open .Bibliography
Petr Kůrka: Topological and Symbolic Dynamics