Liz Bradley - Computer Scientist
Modern computer systems are so complex they are non-linear dynamic systems so they can display chaos in chaotic performance of repeated runs of the same program, or chaotic use of memory. That is to say, sensitive dependence on initial conditions. The initial state of the computer (contents of all its registers and memory) results in chaotic performance or memory access patterns from repeated runs of the same program.
The "R" is the computer program that's being run so there is no way to change it smoothly or understand it simply like in the logistic map.
Legrangian coherent structures are structures with dynamically distinct regions of a time varying system, such as in groups of passengers moving through a transit system or clouds.
The morning glory clouds in Australia exhibit dramatic Legrangian coherent structures: Morning Glory Cloud
Legrangian coherent structures are interesting to complexity theory because they display emergence of these structures, and they represent an information loss in the system from an information theory perspective since it's possible to describe the structures rather than the individual elements forming the structure, and thereby describe the system with less information than would be otherwise required.
