Symbolic dynamics and the description of complexity

Bai-lin Hao

pp. 197-211

in: Ramesh Mishra Kumar, D. Maas, Eduard Zwierlein (eds), On self-organization, Berlin, Springer, 1994

Abstract

Symbolic dynamics provides a general framework to describe complexity of dynamical behaviour. After a discussion of the state of the field special emphasis will be given to the role of the transfer matrix (the Stefan matrix) both in deriving the grammar from known symbolic dynamics and in extracting the rules from experimental data. The block structure of the Stefan matrix may serve as another indicator of the complexity of the associated dynamics.