Chaos and speech rhythm

The new definition of speech rhythm is given. This definition is based on segmentation principle: voiced segment - unvoiced segment. The V/U-rhythm is defined as the sequence of these segments\´ durations. Set of normalised durations is the point set on interval [0, 1]. Owing to established fact that the rhythm evolution is regulated by quadratic mapping on this set, the dynamic regimes of the rhythm in both normal speech and stuttering speech are described in the offered paper. It is shown that such definition of the rhythm is physiologically plausible in contrast to earlier reported models and allows to explain the nature of stuttering which did not find explanation up to now. Really, it turned out, that the nets offered by van der Maas have exactly same route to chaos in dependence on the changing control parameter or parameter of "learning". Moreover, in frameworks of the offered mathematical model the causes which change these rhythmic regimes are established. It allows to apply in clinic the optimal course of treatment for each stutterer individually [Skljarov, O. P, et al., 2003].