US Navy patents chaos . . .

[MMIX]

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6606526.html

Title:
System behavior modification for maintenance of chaos
Document Type and Number:
United States Patent 6606526

Abstract:
An accessible parameter of a chaos embodying system of a physical or biological type is monitored by extraction of measurement data and recordation thereof on a return map as a dynamic representation of the system activity, from which the magnitude and timing of intervention is determined and applied to the system in order to sustain chaos behavior.

Spano Mark L., Ditto William L. and In Visarath

Maintaining chaos in physical and biological systems
Mark L. Spano , William L. Ditto and Visarath In US Naval Surface Warfare Center, White Oak Laboratory,
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA 20903; Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Physics, Atlanta, Georgia, USA 30332

Although for many complex systems the appearance of chaotic behavior may be something to be avoided and perhaps to be controlled, chaos may actually be desirable in, and may enhance the function of, other systems. Possible examples are the functioning of the brain and the mixing of fluids. We have developed a general methodology for maintaining chaos in such systems. The method is based on the return map of the experimental data and requires only small, very infrequently applied perturbations of a single system parameter. It does not require any model equations for, or a priori knowledge of, the system dynamics. This "anticontrol" of chaos has been successfully implemented in a simple experiment based on a magnetoelastic ribbon.


Book of abstracts
ICND-96

[Epimetheus]

  WHAT

On second thought, it's actually a pretty interesting description...
You're just choosing to connect the two, or is there actual proof the patent is owned by the U.S. Navy?

[Requia ☣]

Don't try to read the patent.  Patent lawyers have perfected the art of obfuscation, and doing so can result in brain damage.

[MMIX]

WHAT

On second thought, it's actually a pretty interesting description...
You're just choosing to connect the two, or is there actual proof the patent is owned by the U.S. Navy?

I came across the patent while looking for some background on systems behaviour and had to look up the authors to see if it was real [thats the second doc] and they were working out of
"US Naval Surface Warfare Center, White Oak Laboratory"

[Epimetheus]

OH wow, on the patent link I had just failed to realize you can scroll down. Sorry about that.