Behavior of Dynamical Systems Governed by a Simple Nonlinear Difference Equation

Abstract

Many dynamical systems and mechanics problems are governed by nonlinear difference equations. These equations have also been used increasingly to model problems in population dynamics, economics, and ecology. In this paper we study systems governed by the nonlinear difference equation (4). The locally asymptotically stable periodic solutions are investigated and the global behavior of the system for different values of the system parameter and for different initial conditions is examined. Although the equation is a simple one, the general pattern of its solution is surprisingly complex and seems to have implications in many fields.