Seminar: Chaos and unpredictability in evolutionary dynamics

Dr. Daniele Vilone
Institut de Física Interdisciplinària i Sistemes Complexos
Universitat de les Illes Balears, Spain

A discrete-time version of the replicator equation for two-strategy games is studied. The stationary properties differ from those of continuous time for sufficiently large values of the parameters, where periodic and chaotic behavior replace the usual fixed-point population solutions. We observe the familiar period-doubling and chaotic-bandsplitting attractor cascades of unimodal maps but in some cases more elaborate variations appear due to bimodality. Also unphysical stationary solutions can have unusual physical implications, such as the uncertainty of final population caused by sensitivity to initial conditions and fractality of attractor preimage manifolds. A general introduction to game theory and evolutionary dynamics will be given at the beginning of the talk.

Feb 10, 2012 at 11AM in the IENI meeting room