Add to ORKGWe will consider some examples of discrete dynamical systems: repeating a simple procedure over and over (function iteration). Can we predict the long-term behavior of the system? If our dynamical system is supposed to model some real-world situation, we would like it to be stable under small adjustments. Hence, it is natural to ask what effect the initial state may have on the outcome and if small changes in the iterative procedure itself will lead to radically different dynamics. We’ll talk about a still-unsolved problem in mathematics that a 4th grader can understand, how to draw a fern with a photocopier, the difficulty that undergrads (and their professor!) had in proving a simple statement about a boring card game, fractals in the com...