What is a dynamical system?

Definition:

It is the study of a long term behavior of an evolving system.

Let X ∈ R n , and Y ∈ R . The pair ( X , π ) is called a dynamical system if the map

π : XxY → X has the following properties.

1. The identity property

π ( x , 0 )=x , ∀ x ∈ X

2. Group Axiom

π ( π ( x ,t ) , s )=π ( x , s +t ) , ∀ s ,t ∈ Y

3. Continuity

π is continuous on XxY

X- is called the phase space

π a phase map

Y time

When Y =R , π is called a continuous time dynamical system

When Y =Z , π is called a discrete time dynamical system

 What is a non-autonomous system?
Definition:

A non-autonomous equation does involve time explicitly.

dx
=f (x , t) ; x ( t 0 ) =x 0
dt

Where f : RxR n → R n.

The continuous case of a dynamical system involves analyzing Differential equation.

The long term of a flow is characterized by its Invariant set.

Definition:

A subset M ∈ Rn, is called an invariant set with respect to the flow:

φ : Rx Rn → R n if

φ ( t , M )=M ; t ∈ R

φ ( t ,t o , M ) =M ; t ,t o ∈ R

What is an attractor ?

It is a set to which the system evolves after a long enough time.

Its goal is to understand the behavior of the solutions from a geometrical or topological point of view,

And it describes attraction in forward time.

Definition:

Let φ : Rx Rn → R n be a flow . A compact invariant set A is called a global attractor if:

dis ( φ ( t , B ) , A ) →0 ; dis ( φ ( t , B ) , A ) →0 ; t → ∞ for all bounded sets B∈ Rn

 Two possibilities of attraction

Forward and pullback attraction

dis ( φ ( t , B ) , A ) →0= t → ∞ , t 0 for ward attraction ¿ t 0 → ∞ ,t ¿ pullback attraction ¿

{ ¿

Incase of pullback attraction, the set A is called a pullback attractor.

Pullback attraction describes attraction for the past of the system, whereas forward attraction concerns
with the future of the system.

Instead of starting at an intial time and going to the future, what we do with the pullback attractor is to
fix the current time and go back to history.