Bifurcations and complex instability in a 4-dimensional symplectic mapping (Q1117723)

We study the main periodic solutions of a 4-dimensional symplectic mapping composed of two coupled 2-dimensional mappings. Their bifurcations were calculated numerically and also theoretically for small values of the coupling parameter \(\mu\). Most bifurcating families of period \(2^ n\) \((n>0)\) have complex unstable regions that extend from \(\mu =0\) to the maximal allowed value of \(\mu\) for each family. These complex unstable regions do not allow the transmission of the stability of the corresponding families to families of higher order. We found only one family with a complex unstable region not extending to the maximum \(\mu\), but in this case also the transmission of the stability is stopped at an inverse bifurcation. Thus although there are infinite sequences of bifurcations (of the Feigenbaum type) in the limiting 2-dimensional case \(\mu =0\), all such sequences are interrupted when the system is 4- dimensional (i.e. for \(\mu\neq 0)\). The appearance of complex instability for \(\mu\neq 0\) can be predicted by studying the cases \(\mu =0\) and applying the Krein-Moser theorem.