Hénon Map Strange Attractor

Fractal basin boundaries · sensitivity to initial conditions · chaotic dynamics
a parameter 1.400
b parameter 0.300
color mode
Points plotted: 0
The Hénon map xₙ₊₁ = 1 − axₙ² + yₙ, yₙ₊₁ = bxₙ is one of the simplest 2D maps exhibiting a strange attractor — a fractal set with Hausdorff dimension ≈ 1.26 (at a = 1.4, b = 0.3). Despite its simple quadratic rule, the attractor has self-similar structure at every scale. The Basin Map mode colors each initial condition by whether it converges to the attractor (blue) or escapes to infinity (dark), revealing fractal basin boundaries.