MAKE THE MATHEMATICS YOURSELF

The quadratic road to chaos in C

A complete program. Standard C, a compiler, and the rule behind the shape.

Output generated by this C program: The quadratic road to chaos
Generated by the C program below Download image ↗
FROM SOURCE TO SHAPE

Run it in three steps.

  1. Save the source.

    Download logistic.c into a folder on your computer.

  2. Compile it.

    In that folder, run this with GCC or Clang:

    cc -std=c11 -O2 logistic.c -lm -o logistic
  3. Make the image.
    ./logistic

    Open logistic.svg in a browser to see the result.

On Windows with GCC, name the executable logistic.exe and run it from the same folder.

THE RULE IN THE PROGRAM

How the picture is built

For each parameter r between 2.8 and 4, iterate x←r x(1−x) from the same seed. Discard a transient, then plot the next values vertically above r to reveal fixed points, period doubling, and chaotic bands.

Make it your own

COLUMNS=900; TRANSIENT=1000; SAMPLES=64; initial x=0.3141592653589793. Increase transient or samples for a denser numerical study.

A finite floating-point bifurcation sample is not a proof of a stable period or chaos at an individual parameter. Transients can last longer near bifurcations; narrow periodic windows may fall between sampled r values. Each run produces one image; use Graphic mode for the interactive animation.

The complete source

logistic.c · 98 lines · no graphics libraries
/* Arithmos: logistic
 * Compile: cc -std=c11 -O2 logistic.c -lm -o logistic
 * Run:     ./logistic
 * Output:  logistic.svg (open this file in a browser)
 * Optional output path: ./logistic my-image.svg
 * Edit the constants in draw() to explore another case.
 */
#include <math.h>
#include <stdint.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>

static FILE *nt_out;
#define NT_PI 3.14159265358979323846

/* The small SVG writer keeps this program free of graphics dependencies.
 * Coordinates are pixels on a 1000 x 700 drawing surface.
 * t runs from 0 to 1 through mint, blue, rose, and gold.
 */
static inline void nt_color(double t, char hex[8]) {
    const double stops[4][3] = {
        {91,227,201}, {128,146,240}, {218,138,220}, {244,200,127}
    };
    t = fmax(0.0, fmin(1.0,t)) * 3.0;
    int band = (int)fmin(2.0,floor(t));
    double blend = t - band;
    int r[3];
    for (int k=0;k<3;k++) r[k]=(int)lround(stops[band][k]*(1.0-blend)+stops[band+1][k]*blend);
    snprintf(hex,8,"#%02x%02x%02x",r[0],r[1],r[2]);
}
static inline void nt_line(double x,double y,double X,double Y,double t,double alpha,double width) {
    char color[8];nt_color(t,color);
    fprintf(nt_out,"<path d=\"M%.3f %.3f L%.3f %.3f\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"%s\" stroke-opacity=\"%.3f\" stroke-width=\"%.3f\"/>\n",x,y,X,Y,color,alpha,width);
}
static inline void nt_dot(double x,double y,double r,double t,double alpha) {
    char color[8];nt_color(t,color);
    fprintf(nt_out,"<circle cx=\"%.3f\" cy=\"%.3f\" r=\"%.3f\" fill=\"%s\" fill-opacity=\"%.3f\"/>\n",x,y,r,color,alpha);
}
static inline void nt_circle(double x,double y,double r,double t,double alpha,double width) {
    char color[8];nt_color(t,color);
    fprintf(nt_out,"<circle cx=\"%.3f\" cy=\"%.3f\" r=\"%.3f\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"%s\" stroke-opacity=\"%.3f\" stroke-width=\"%.3f\"/>\n",x,y,r,color,alpha,width);
}
static inline void nt_rect(double x,double y,double w,double h,double t,double alpha) {
    char color[8];nt_color(t,color);
    fprintf(nt_out,"<rect x=\"%.3f\" y=\"%.3f\" width=\"%.3f\" height=\"%.3f\" fill=\"%s\" fill-opacity=\"%.3f\"/>\n",x,y,w,h,color,alpha);
}
static inline void nt_text(double x,double y,const char *text) {
    fprintf(nt_out,"<text x=\"%.3f\" y=\"%.3f\" fill=\"#ededf3\" font-family=\"monospace\" font-size=\"16\">",x,y);
    for (;*text;text++) {
        if (*text=='&') fputs("&amp;",nt_out);
        else if (*text=='<') fputs("&lt;",nt_out);
        else if (*text=='>') fputs("&gt;",nt_out);
        else fputc(*text,nt_out);
    }
    fputs("</text>\n",nt_out);
}
static inline int nt_gcd(int a,int b) {a=abs(a);b=abs(b);while(b){int r=a%b;a=b;b=r;}return a;}
static inline int nt_prime(int n) {if(n<2)return 0;for(int d=2;d<=n/d;d++)if(n%d==0)return 0;return 1;}

/* Logistic bifurcation diagram: iterate x -> r*x*(1-x).
   Edit COLUMNS, TRANSIENT, SAMPLES or the r range. Each column restarts
   at the same x; discard transients before drawing the sampled orbit. */
static void draw(void) {
    const int COLUMNS=900,TRANSIENT=1000,SAMPLES=64;
    const double R_MIN=2.8,R_MAX=4.0,START_X=.3141592653589793;
    nt_line(65,630,940,630,.2,.4,1);nt_line(65,50,65,630,.2,.4,1);
    for(int i=0;i<COLUMNS;++i) {
        double t=i/(double)(COLUMNS-1),r=R_MIN+(R_MAX-R_MIN)*t,x=START_X;
        for(int k=0;k<TRANSIENT;++k)x=r*x*(1-x);
        for(int k=0;k<SAMPLES;++k) {
            x=r*x*(1-x);
            if(isfinite(x)&&x>=0&&x<=1)nt_dot(65+875*t,630-580*x,.65,t,.35);
        }
    }
    nt_text(65,665,"Parameter r: 2.8 to 4.0");nt_text(70,35,"Orbit value x: 0 to 1");
    nt_text(400,665,"Finite sample; narrow windows may be missed.");
}

int main(int argc, char **argv) {
    if (argc > 2) {
        fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %s [OUTPUT.svg]\n", argv[0]);
        return EXIT_FAILURE;
    }
    const char *filename = argc == 2 ? argv[1] : "logistic.svg";
    nt_out = fopen(filename, "wb");
    if (!nt_out) { perror(filename); return EXIT_FAILURE; }
    fputs("<svg xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" width=\"1000\" height=\"700\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 700\">\n"
          "<rect width=\"1000\" height=\"700\" fill=\"#171721\"/>\n", nt_out);
    draw();
    fputs("</svg>\n", nt_out);
    int failed = ferror(nt_out);
    if (fclose(nt_out) != 0) failed = 1;
    if (failed) { fputs("Could not finish writing the image.\n", stderr); return EXIT_FAILURE; }
    printf("Wrote %s\n", filename);
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}
All 40 explorations, ready to compile.Download all C examples ↓