Coupled map lattice

Summary

A coupled map lattice is a dynamical system with discrete time, discrete space and continuous state. At each site of a lattice sits a real variable. It is updated by a nonlinear map such as the logistic map and then mixed with the values at neighbouring sites. Coupled map lattices were introduced by Kunihiko Kaneko in the 1980s as simple models of spatiotemporal chaos, turbulence and pattern formation. They show a rich variety of behaviour, such as frozen patterns, travelling defects and fully developed spatiotemporal chaos.