OPTIMAL TARGETING OF CHAOS

Standard graph theoretic algorithms are applied to chaotic dynamical s ystems to identify orbits that are optimal relative to a prespecified cost function. We reduce the targeting problem to the problem of findi ng optimal paths through a graph. Numerical experiments on one-dimensi onal maps suggest that periodic saddle orbits of low period are typica lly less expensive to target (relative to a family of smooth cost func tions) than periodic saddle orbits of high period. (C) 1998 Elsevier S cience B.V.