Globally coupled systems with prescribed synchronized dynamics

A system of globally coupled maps whose synchronized dynamics differs from the individual (chaotic) evolution is considered. For nonchaotic synchronized dynamics, the synchronized state becomes stable at a critical coupling intensity lower than that of the fully chaotic case. Below such critical point, synchronization is also stable in a set of finite intervals. Moreover, the system is shown to exhibit multistability, so that even when the synchronized state is stable not all the initial conditions lead to synchronization of the ensemble. Received 22 October 1999