Why must the sum of Lyapunov exponents be negative for dissipative systems?
Conditions
- System is dissipative.
Reasoning, step by step
- Recall that Lyapunov exponents measure the exponential rate of stretching or compression along different directions.
- Summing all exponents gives the net rate of change of the phase-space volume.
- For a dissipative system, the phase-space volume must contract over time.
- Therefore, the sum of the Lyapunov exponents must be negative.
Example
The fourth slide bullet reads “ for dissipative systems”. The audio states, “That means that the sum of the Lyapunov exponents has to be negative.”
Common misconceptions
- Thinking that a dissipative system cannot have any positive Lyapunov exponents.
- Confusing the sum of exponents with the individual signs of the exponents.
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