How to lose at Monte Carlo: a simple dynamical system whose typical statistical behavior is non computable

Abstract

We consider the simplest non-linear discrete dynamical systems, given by the logistic maps $f_a(x)=ax(1-x)$ of the interval $[0,1]$. We show that there exist real parameters $a\in (0,4)$ for which almost every orbit of $f_a$ has the same statistical distribution in $[0,1]$, but this limiting distribution is not Turing computable. In particular, the Monte Carlo method cannot be applied to study these dynamical systems.

13 pages, 1 figure