TY - JOUR ID - Kennedy2023 LB - Kennedy2023 AU - Kennedy, Benjamin B. TI - Periodic, nonperiodic, and chaotic solutions for a class of difference equations with negative feedback ST - Periodic, nonperiodic, and chaotic solutions for a class of difference equations with negative feedback JO - Opuscula Math. JA - Opuscula Math. JF - Opuscula Mathematica PY - 2023 VL - 43 IS - 4 SP - 507 EP - 546 DO - https://doi.org/10.7494/OpMath.2023.43.4.507 UR - https://doi.org/10.7494/OpMath.2023.43.4.507 AB - We study the scalar difference equation \[x(k+1) = x(k) + \frac{f(x(k-N))}{N},\] where \(f\) is nonincreasing with negative feedback. This equation is a discretization of the well-studied differential delay equation \[x'(t) = f(x(t-1)).\] We examine explicit families of such equations for which we can find, for infinitely many values of $ and appropriate parameter values, various dynamical behaviors including periodic solutions with large numbers of sign changes per minimal period, solutions that do not converge to periodic solutions, and chaos. We contrast these behaviors with the dynamics of the limiting differential equation. Our primary tool is the analysis of return maps for the difference equations that are conjugate to continuous self-maps of the circle. KW - difference equation KW - negative feedback KW - circle map SN - 1232-9274 ER -