Bifurcation of Homogeneous Solutions in a Chain of Logistic Maps

In this paper we study the bifurcation of the homogeneous fixed point of a lattice of n diffusively coupled logistic maps. An analytical computation of the reduced map on the centermanifold is performed by taking into account the symmetries of the system. If n is even, a subcritical flip bifurcation causes a symmetry breaking of the homogeneous pattern whichproduces a traveling (rotating) wave with velocity 1 and time period 2. For odd n, since the bifurcation has a two dimensional normal form, we limit ourselves to consider only the simplest case (n = 3). In this case, a supercritical flip bifurcation is observed; three less symmetric periodic orbits of time period 2 are generated by the breaking of the homogeneous orbit. However, the bifurcation is rather degenerate and we have numerical hints that a second family of asymmetric periodic points is generated. Some details, pertaining to the dynamicsof the truncated map on the two dimensional center manifold for n = 3, are also presented.