Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 22 (2004) 10311038

www.elsevier.com/locate/chaos

A new chaotic attractor

Chongxin Liu *, Tao Liu, Ling Liu, Kai Liu
Xian Jiaotong University, Xian 710049, PR China
Accepted 2 January 2004

Abstract
In this letter a new chaotic system is discussed. Some basic dynamical properties, such as Lyapunov exponents,
Poincare mapping, fractal dimension, continuous spectrum and chaotic behaviors of this new buttery attractor are
studied. Furthermore, the forming mechanism of its compound structure obtained by merging together two simple
attractors after performing one mirror operation has been investigated by detailed numerical as well as theoretical
analysis.
2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction

A new chaotic system is proposed in this letter. It is a three-dimensional autonomous system which relies on one
multipliers and one quadratic term to introduce the non-linearity necessary for folding trajectories. The chaotic
attractor obtained from this new system according to the detailed numerical as well as theoretical analysis is also the
buttery-shaped attractor, exhibiting the abundant and complex chaotic dynamics. The chaotic system is a new
attractor which is similar to Lorenz chaotic attractor, but not equivalent chaotic attractor [1]. This letter has briey
studied and analyzed its forming mechanism. The compound structure of the buttery attractor obtained by merging
together two simple attractors after performing one mirror operation is explored here. Simulation results support brief
theoretical derivations.

2. New chaotic system

A new chaotic system is proposed in this letter, the autonomy dierential equations that describe the system are

x_ ay  x
y_ bx  kxz 1
z_ cz hx2

Here, let
a 10; b 40; k 1; c 2:5; h4

*
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: liucx@mail.xjtu.edu.cn (C. Liu).

0960-0779/$ - see front matter 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.chaos.2004.02.060
1032 C. Liu et al. / Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 22 (2004) 10311038

First, we discuss equilibria of this non-linear system.

Let

ay  x 0; bx  kxz 0; cz hx2 0

The system has three equilibria, which are respectively described as follows:

O0; 0; 0; P x0 ; y0 ; z0 ; P  x0 ; y0 ; z0

We operate above these non-linear algebraic equations and obtain

O0; 0; 0; P 5; 5; 40 and P  5; 5; 40

For equilibrium O(0,0,0), system (1) are linearized, the Jacobian matrix is dened as
2 3 2 3
a a 0 10 10 0
J0 4 b  z 0 x 5 4 40 0 0 5
2hx 0 c 0 0 2:5

To gain its eigenvalues, we let

jkI  J0 j 0

These eigenvalues that corresponding to equilibrium O(0,0,0) are respectively obtained as follows:
k1 25:6155; k2 15:6155; k3 2:5

Here k2 is a positive real number, k1 , and k3 are two negative real numbers. Therefore, the equilibrium O(0,0,0) is a
saddle point. So, this equilibrium point O(0,0,0) is unstable.
Next, linearizing the system (1) about the other equilibria such as P and P  yields the following characteristic
operation.
For equilibrium points P , has a Jacobian matrix equal to
2 3 2 3
a a 0 10 10 0
J 4 b  z 0 x 5 4 0 0 5 5
2hx 0 c 40 0 2:5

We let jkI  J j 0.
These eigenvalues corresponding to the equilibrium point P x0 ; y0 ; z0 are
k1 17:5614; k2 2:5307 j10:3673; k3 2:5307  j10:3673

Here k1 , is a negative real number, k2 and k3 become a pair of complex conjugate eigenvalues with positive real parts.
The equilibrium point P is a saddle-focus point; this equilibrium point is also unstable.
For equilibrium point P  we think over corresponding linearization of state Eqs. (1), it has a Jacobian matrix equal
to
2 3
10 10 0
J 4 0 0 5 5
40 0 2:5

We let jkI  J j 0.
These corresponding eigenvalues of P  x0 ; y0 ; z0 are
k1 17:5614; k2 2:5307 j10:3673; k3 2:5307  j10:3673

Result show that k1 , are a negative real number, k2 and k3 form a complex conjugate pair and their real parts are
positive.
Equilibrium point of P  is also a saddle-focus point; this equilibrium point is unstable.
The above brief analyses show that the three equilibrium points of the non-linear system are all saddle focus-nodes.
The initial values of the system are selected as (2.2, 2.4, 38). Using MATLAB program, the numerical simulation
have been completed. This non-linear system exhibits the complex and abundant of the chaotic dynamics behavior, the
strange attractors are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Apparently, the strange attractors in this non-linear system are dierent to
 C. Liu et al. / Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 22 (2004) 10311038 1033

Fig. 1. Three-dimensional view.

Fig. 2. (a) xz phase plane strange attractors. (b) xy phase plane strange attractors. (c) yz phase plane strange attractors.

Lorenz chaos attractors, the waveforms of xt in time domain are shown in Fig. 3. The waveforms of xt is non-
periodic. Its spectrum is continuous as shown in Fig. 4. Poincare mapping are these points of the confusion as shown in
Fig. 5.
Apparently, the evolution of the chaos trajectories is very sensitive to initial conditions in this non-linear system. If
the appointed initial values are changed, the chaotic dynamical behavior disappears soon.
1034 C. Liu et al. / Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 22 (2004) 10311038

Fig. 3. xt waveform.

Fig. 4. Spectrum of jxj.

For dynamical system (1), we can obtain

o_x oy_ o_z
rV a  c p
ox oy oz
With p a c 12:5, here p is a negative value, dynamical system described by (1) is one dissipative system,
and an exponential contraction of the system (1) is
dV
ep e12:5t
dt
In dynamical system (1), a volume element V0 is apparently contracted by the ow into a volume element
V0 ept V0 e12:5t in time t. It means that each volume containing the trajectory of this dynamical system shrinks to zero
as t ! 1 at an exponential rate p. So, all this dynamical system orbits are eventually conned to a specic subset that
have zero volume, the asymptotic motion settles onto an attractor of the system (1) [2].
As is well known, the Lyapunov exponents measure the exponential rates of divergence or convergence of nearby
trajectories in phase space, according to the detailed numerical as well as theoretical analysis, the largest value of
positive Lyapunov exponents of this chaotic system is obtained as
kL1 1:64328

It is related to the expanding nature of dierent direction in phase space. Another one Lyapunov exponent is
kL2 0
 C. Liu et al. / Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 22 (2004) 10311038 1035

Fig. 5. The Poincare map of xy plane.

It is related to the critical nature between the expanding and the contracting nature of dierent direction in phase
space.
While negative Lyapunov exponent is
kL3 14:142

It is related to the contracting nature of dierent direction in phase space.

The Lyapunov dimension of chaos attractors of this non-linear system is of fraction dimension, it is described as
1 X
j
kL1 kL2 1:64328 0
DL j kLi 2 2 2:116
jkLj1 j i1
jkL3 j j  14:142j

The fractal nature of an attractor does not merely imply non-periodic orbits; it also causes nearby trajectories to
diverge. As all strange attractors, orbits that are initiated from dierent initial conditions soon reach the attracting set,
but two nearby orbits do not stay close to each other [3]. They soon diverge and follow totally dierent paths in the
attractor. Therefore, there is really chaos in this system.

3. Forming mechanism of this new chaotic attractor structure

In order to reveal the forming mechanism of this new chaotic attractor structure, its controlled system is proposed,
the autonomous dierential equations of its controlled system are expressed as
x_ 10y  x; y_ 40x  xz e; z_ 2:5z 4x2

In this system, e is the parameter of control, the value of it can be changed within a certain range.
When the parameter e is changed, the chaos behavior of this system can eectively be controlled. So it is a controller.
Here, we let still initial values of the system are selected as (2.2, 2.4, 38).
Let e 14, the corresponding strange attractors are shown in Fig. 6. the attractor evolves into partial but is still
bounded in this time.
Let e 18, the corresponding strange attractors are shown in Fig. 7. Moreover the strange attractors are evolved
into single right scroll attractor; it is only one half the original chaotic attractors in this time.
Let e 40, the strange attractor evolves into the period-doubling bifurcations; period-doubling bifurcations are
shown in Fig. 8.
While e is a negative value, the chaos of this system can also be aected. The initial values of the system are still
selected as (2.4, 2.2, 38).
Let e 14, the strange attractors are shown in Fig. 9, the attractor evolves also into partial but is still bounded in
this time.
1036 C. Liu et al. / Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 22 (2004) 10311038

Fig. 6. xz phase plane strange attractors.

Fig. 7. xz phase plane strange attractors.

Let e 18, the corresponding strange attractors are shown in Fig. 10. Moreover the strange attractors are evolved
into single left scroll attractor; it is also only one half the original chaotic attractors in this time.
Let e 40, the strange attractor evolves into the period-doubling bifurcations; period-doubling bifurcations are
shown in Fig. 11.
In the controller, one can see when jej is large enough, chaos attractor disappears; when jej is small enough, a
complete chaos attractor appears. So jej is an important parameter to control chaos in the non-linear system [4].
This means the buttery attractor reported is a compound structure obtained by merging together two simple
attractor after performing one mirror operation [5].

4. Conclusion

In this new chaotic system, there are abundant and complex dynamical behaviors, this new attractor is dierent from
the Lorenz attractor. This new attractors proposed can be also realized with an electronic circuit and have great po-
tential for communication [6]. These new attractors and their forming mechanism need further to study and explore.
Their topological structure should be completely and thoroughly investigated. It is expecting that more detailed theory
C. Liu et al. / Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 22 (2004) 10311038 1037

Fig. 8. xz phase plane period-doubling bifurcations.

Fig. 9. xz phase plane strange attractors.

Fig. 10. xz phase plane strange attractors.

1038 C. Liu et al. / Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 22 (2004) 10311038

Fig. 11. xz phase plane period-doubling bifurcations.

analysis and simulation investigation will be provided elsewhere, a great deal of achievements will be obtained in the
near future.

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[4] Ueta T, Chen G. Bifurcation analysis of Chens attractor. Int J Bifurcat Chaos 2000;10:191731.
[5] L
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