On almost periodic orbits and minimal sets

In this short note we solve in the negative the three problems recently posed by Jie-Hua Mai and Wei-Hua Sun regarding the behaviour of almost periodic orbits and minimal sets of dynamical systems whose phase space is not regular.     

On negative limit sets for one-dimensional dynamics

In this paper we study the structure of negative limit sets of maps on the unit interval. We prove that every α-limit set is an ω-limit set, while the converse is not true in general. Surprisingly, it may happen that the space of all α-limit sets of interval maps is not closed in the Hausdorff metric (and thus some ω-limit sets are never obtained as α-limit sets). Moreover, we prove that the set of all recurrent points is closed if and only if the space of all α-limit sets is closed.     

Integrate-and-fire models with an almost periodic input function

We investigate leaky integrate-and-fire models (LIF models for short) driven by Stepanov and μ-almost periodic functions. Special attention is paid to the properties of the firing map and its displacement, which give information about the spiking behavior of the considered system. We provide conditions under which such maps are well-defined and are uniformly continuous. We show that the LIF models with Stepanov almost periodic inputs have uniformly almost periodic displacements. We also show that in the case of μ-almost periodic drives it may happen that the displacement map is uniformly continuous, but is not μ-almost periodic (and thus cannot be Stepanov or uniformly almost periodic). By allowing discontinuous inputs, we extend some previous results, showing, for example, that the firing rate for the LIF models with Stepanov almost periodic input exists and is unique. This is a starting point for the investigation of the dynamics of almost-periodically driven integrate-and-fire systems.     

Omega-limit sets in hereditarily locally connected continua

In this paper we give a topological characterization of ω-limit sets in hereditarily locally connected continua. Moreover, we characterize also orbit-enclosing ω-limit sets in these spaces.     

Polygonal approximation of flows

The analysis of the qualitative behavior of flows generated by ordinary differential equations often requires quantitative information beyond numerical simulation which can be difficult to obtain analytically. In this paper we present a computational scheme designed to capture qualitative information using ideas from the Conley index theory. Specifically we design an combinatorial multivalued approximation from a simplicial decomposition of the phase space, which can be used to extract isolating blocks for isolated invariant sets. These isolating blocks can be computed rigorously to provide computer-assisted proofs. We also obtain local conditions on the underlying simplicial approximation that guarantees that the chain recurrent set can be well-approximated.     

Almost periodic points and minimal sets in ω-regular spaces

In this paper a notion of ω-regular space is raised, which is an extension of that of regular space, and several known results concerning almost periodic points and minimal sets of maps are generalized from regular spaces to ω-regular spaces.     

Omega limit sets and distributional chaos on graphs

We give a full topological characterization of omega limit sets of continuous maps on graphs and we show that basic sets have similar properties as in the case of the compact interval. We also prove that the presence of distributional chaos, the existence of basic sets, and positive topological entropy (among other properties) are mutually equivalent for continuous graph maps.     

Stabilities in multi-valued dynamical systems

For the study of the various stabilities in multi-valued dynamical systems, we obtain some necessary and sufficient conditions of the notions of stability and Lyapunov stability, and investigate the connection between the concepts of attractions and the suitable versions of limit sets. Also we consider the notion of characteristic 0⁺ in multi-valued dynamical systems and obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for the concept of characteristic 0⁺.     

Chaotic sets of continuous and discontinuous maps

This paper discusses Li-Yorke chaotic sets of continuous and discontinuous maps with particular emphasis to shift and subshift maps. Scrambled sets and maximal scrambled sets are introduced to characterize Li-Yorke chaotic sets. The orbit invariant for a scrambled set is discussed. Some properties about maximality, equivalence and uniqueness of maximal scrambled sets are also discussed. It is shown that for shift maps the set of all scrambled pairs has full measure and chaotic sets of some discontinuous maps, such as the Gauss map, interval exchange transformations, and a class of planar piecewise isometries, are studied. Finally, some open problems on scrambled sets are listed and remarked.     

Asymptotically finite dimensional pullback behaviour of non-autonomous PDEs

The asymptotic behaviour of general non-autonomous partial differential equations can be described using the concept of pullback attractor. This is, under suitable hypotheses, a time-dependent family of finite-dimensional compact sets. In this work we investigate how this finite-dimensional dynamics on the attractor determines the asymptotic behaviour of non-autonomous PDEs.     

Realization of all Dold's congruences with stability

The main goal of this paper is to prove that for each n>2, every sequence of integers satisfying Dold's congruences is realized as the sequence of fixed point indices of the iterates of an orientation preserving Rn-homeomorphism at an isolated stable fixed point. We use Conley index techniques even though stable fixed points are not isolated invariant sets.     

An example on movable approximations of a minimal set in a continuous flow

In the present paper the study of flows on n-manifolds in particular in dimension three, e.g., R³, is motivated by the following question. Let A be a compact invariant set in a flow on X. Does every neighbourhood of A contain a movable invariant set M containing A? It is known that a stable solenoid in a flow on a 3-manifold has approximating periodic orbits in each of its neighbourhoods. The solenoid with the approximating orbits form a movable set, although the solenoid is not movable. Not many such examples are known. The main part of the paper consists of constructing an example of a set in R³ that is not stable, is not a solenoid, and is approximated by Denjoy-like invariant sets instead of periodic orbits. As in the case of a solenoid, the constructed set is an inverse limit of its approximating sets. This gives a partial answer to the above question.     

A note on the map with the whole space being a scrambled set

In this paper we prove that there is no compact system with the whole space being a Schweizer–Smital scrambled set and the Huang–Ye homeomorphism [W. Huang, X.D. Ye, Homeomorphisms with the whole compacta being scrambled sets, Ergod. Theory & Dynam. Systems 21 (2001) 77–91] has no Schweizer–Smital pair. Moreover, we present a simple noncompact system whose Schweizer–Smital scrambled set can be the whole space.     

Semicocycle extensions and the stroboscopic property

We indicate a large class of almost 1-1 extensions over minimal systems, which do not possess the stroboscopic property, as defined by Misiurewicz and studied by Jimenez and Snoha [Topology Appl. 129 (2003) 301-316]. Sturmian flows and all Toeplitz flows belong to this class. This generalizes a theorem of [Topology Appl. 129 (2003) 301-316] for Sturmian flows. Our result allows to easily construct minimal weakly mixing systems without the stroboscopic property, which answers in the negative a question posed in [Topology Appl. 129 (2003) 301-316]. Finally we prove that even the strong stroboscopic property does not imply the stroboscopic property for induced (first return time) systems.     

Attractivity properties of α-contractions

It is known that if T:X → X is completely continuous where X is a Banach space, then point dissipative and compact dissipative are equivalent, and imply the existence of a maximal compact invariant set which is uniformly asymptotically stable and attracts bounded sets uniformly. If T is an α-contraction, it is not known whether point dissipative and compact dissipative are equivalent. However, it is known that if T is an α-contraction and compact dissipative, then there exists a maximal compact invariant set which is uniformly asymptotically stable and attracts a neighborhood of any compact set uniformly. In this paper we show that for most practical examples which give rise to α-contraction, point dissipative and compact dissipative are equivalent. For example, we show this is true for stable neutral functional differential equations, retarded functional differential equations of infinite delay, and strongly damped nonlinear wave equations. We conjecture that this should be true for almost any practical application which gives rise to an α-contraction.     

Almost periodic solutions for abstract impulsive differential equations

This paper studies the existence and uniqueness of exponentially stable almost periodic solutions for abstract impulsive differential equations in Banach space. The investigations are carried out by means of the fractional powers of operators. We construct an example to illustrate the feasibility of our results.     

Characterizations of almost periodic homeomorphisms

In this paper we study recurrent and almost periodic homeomorphisms on the Euclidean space Rm; we give conditions under which recurrent implies periodic. On the other hand we give properties of elements of compact groups of diffeomorphisms on manifolds.     

Distributional chaos and irregular recurrence

For a continuous map φ:X→X of a compact metric space, we study relations between distributional chaos and the existence of a point which is quasi-weakly almost periodic, but not weakly almost periodic. We provide an example showing that the existence of such a point does not imply the strongest version of distributional chaos, DC1. Using this we prove that, even in the class of triangular maps of the square, there are no relations to DC1. This result, among others, contributes to the solution of a problem formulated by A.N. Sharkovsky in the eighties.