Spatial interaction creates period-doubling bifurcation and chaos of urbanization

This paper provides a new way of looking at complicated dynamics of simple mathematical models. The complicated behavior of simple equations is one of the headstreams of chaos theory. However, a recent study based on dynamical equations of urbanization shows that there are still some undiscovered secrets behind the simple mathematical models such as logistic equation. The rural–urban interaction model can also display varied kinds of complicated dynamics, including period-doubling bifurcation and chaos. The two-dimension map of urbanization presents the same dynamics as that from the one-dimension logistic map. In theory, the logistic equation can be derived from the two-population interaction model. This seems to suggest that the complicated behavior of simple models results from interaction rather than pure intrinsic randomicity. In light of this idea, the classical predator– prey interaction model can be revised to explain the complex dynamics of logistic equation in physical and social sciences.