Twist Map & KAM Theory

An integrable area-preserving map — each circle rotates by a frequency ω(r). Rational frequencies break into island chains; irrational ones persist as KAM tori.

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ε = 0: All circles are KAM tori
Twist map: (r, θ) → (r, θ + ω(r)) where ω is the rotation function.

Irrational ω: Dense orbit, quasi-periodic — fills the circle uniformly (Weyl equidistribution).

Rational ω = p/q: Periodic orbit with period q. Under perturbation: Poincaré-Birkhoff theorem guarantees 2q fixed points appear (alternating stable/unstable).

KAM theorem: For sufficiently irrational ω (Diophantine condition: |ω - p/q| > c/q²), the invariant circle persists under small perturbations.

Click circles to display their rotation number.