The H´enon Model 111
FIGURE 5.15: The Holmes model (a = 2.4, b = 0.3)
5.7.2 The sine delay model
The model proposed by Holmes is an approximation
1
of a sinusoidal one, called
the sine delay model, of the form:
x
t+1
= bx
t−1
+ a sin(x
t
) (5.18)
This model, for relatively small values of a, shows similar behaviour to that of the
Holmes model. However, when a takes large values, the map changes into a series
of sigmoid forms. The number of maxima or minima of the resulting curves can be
estimated according to the number of solutions of the equation
(1 − b)x − a sin(x) = 0.
In the example presented in Figure 5.16, the delay parameter is fixed at b = 0.3 in
both cases, and the parameter a is set to a = 3.0772 for the case A and a = 2 ×3.0772
for the case B. It is clear, by observing the resulting maps, that by doubling the value
of a, the number of maxima or minima is also doubled.
When b is small, there is a close relation between the maxima and minima of this
map, and the maxima and minima of the function
y = f (x) = (1 − b)x − a sin(x).
The relation can be seen in Figure 5.17(a). Note further that the range of x values for
the map ends exactly at the last solution to f (x ) (the solutions to f (x) = 0 are exactly
the fixed points of the sine delay map). Figure 5.17(b) shows the case where b = 0.3
and a = 6.5(1 −b)π.
When b takes values closer to 1, say b = 0.88, the situation changes radically, as
the attractor is now separated in two very similar parts (Figure 5.18(a)). There is now
1
The approximation can be seen by replacing sin(x) with its third degree Taylor approximation, x −
1
6
x
3
.