YOU CAN EXPLORE the bifurcation diagram with the applet below. Click your
mouse button and drag to select a region. When you let go the mouse
button you'll zoom in on your selected region. The "zoom out" button
let's you, er, zoom out. It takes a few seconds to draw a graph,
so watch the status line at the bottom of your browser for a progress indicator.
So a simple little equation leads to messy, complicated behaviours (in this
case, of fish populations).
And that's about all I've got to tell you about chaos. Now try
searching the web for
"bifurcation" or "logistic difference equation" or "chaos" or
"ecology" for more information.
Contact Richard Dallaway