How do random Fibonacci sequences grow?


Abstract in English

We study two kinds of random Fibonacci sequences defined by $F_1=F_2=1$ and for $nge 1$, $F_{n+2} = F_{n+1} pm F_{n}$ (linear case) or $F_{n+2} = |F_{n+1} pm F_{n}|$ (non-linear case), where each sign is independent and either + with probability $p$ or - with probability $1-p$ ($0<ple 1$). Our main result is that the exponential growth of $F_n$ for $0<ple 1$ (linear case) or for $1/3le ple 1$ (non-linear case) is almost surely given by $$int_0^infty log x d u_alpha (x), $$ where $alpha$ is an explicit function of $p$ depending on the case we consider, and $ u_alpha$ is an explicit probability distribution on $RR_+$ defined inductively on Stern-Brocot intervals. In the non-linear case, the largest Lyapunov exponent is not an analytic function of $p$, since we prove that it is equal to zero for $0<ple1/3$. We also give some results about the variations of the largest Lyapunov exponent, and provide a formula for its derivative.

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