Modeling and Imaging Mechanical Chaos
Mike Bailley · 2005
The word “chaotic system” [Peitgen92] describes a system whose outputs are very sensitive to its initial conditions. Because of their inherent complex nature, chaotic systems are difficult to visualize and understand. This paper describes the visualization of a mechanical chaotic system — a magnetic pendulum. The program uses dynamics modeling and imaging, so that a user can experiment with different configurations and then visualize how that configuration responds to all input conditions. The result shows interesting patterns and insights into the mechanical system itself. This same technique would be applicable to visualizing many other chaotic systems.