Paradox of simple limiter control

Abstract

Chaos control by simple limiters is an easy-to-implement and effective method of stabilizing irregular fluctuations. Here we show that applying limiter control to a state variable can significantly shift its mean value. In many situations, this is a countereffective as well as unexpected result, when the aim of control is also to restrict the dynamics. We discuss this effect on the basis of a model of population dynamics and conclude that it can have severe implications for the management of pest species and epidemic spread.