Quantitative characterization of spatiotemporal patterns II

Disorderness of spatiotemporal patterns which are obtained by nonlinear partial differential equations is characterized quantitatively. The mean Lyapunov exponent for a nonlinear partial differential equation is given. The local Lyapunov exponent which is a finite time average of the mean Lyapunov exponent is shown to have close relation to the spatiotemporal patterns. It is suggested that the systems which are described by nonlinear partial differential equations are characterized statistically through the probability distribution function of the local Lyapunov exponent.