Insights into the algebraic structure of Lorenz-like systems using feedback circuit analysis and piecewise affine models

Abstract

The characterization of chaotic attractors has been a widely addressed problem and there are now many different techniques to define their nature in a rather accurate way, at least in the case of a three-dimensional system. Nevertheless, the link between the structure of the ordinary differential equations and the topology of their solutions is still missing and only a few necessary conditions on the algebraic structure are known today. By using a feedback circuit analysis, it is shown that it is possible to identify the relevant terms of the equations, that is, the terms that really contribute to the structure of the phase portrait. Such analysis also provides some guidelines for constructing piecewise affine models. Moreover, equivalence classes can be defined on the basis of the active feedback circuits involved.