Chaos computing in terms of periodic orbits.

The complex dynamics of chaotic systems can perform computations. The parameters and/or the initial conditions of a dynamical system are the data inputs and the resulting system state is the output of the computation. By controlling how inputs are mapped to outputs, a specific function can be performed. Previously no clear connection has been drawn between the structure of the dynamics and the computation. In this paper we demonstrate how chaos computation can be explained, modeled, and even predicted in terms of the dynamics of the underlying chaotic system, specifically the periodic orbit structure of the system. Knowing the dynamical equations of the system, we compute the system's periodic orbits as well as its stability in terms of its eigenvalues, thereby demonstrating how, how well, and what the chaotic system can compute.