Generating multiscroll chaotic attractors:: Theories, methods and applications

Over the last two decades, theoretical design and circuit implementation of various chaos generators have been a focal subject of increasing interest due to their promising applications in various real-world chaos-based technologies and information systems. In particular, generating complex multiscroll chaotic attractors via simple electronic circuits has seen rapid development. This article offers an overview of the subject on multiscroll chaotic attractors generation, including some fundamental theories, design methodologies, circuit implementations and practical applications. More precisely, the article first describes some effective design methods using piecewise-linear functions, cellular neural networks, nonlinear modulating functions, circuit component design, switching manifolds, multifolded tori formation, and so on. Based on different approaches, computer simulation and circuit implementation of various multiscroll chaotic attractors are then discussed in detail, with some theoretical proofs and laboratory experiments presented for verification and demonstration. It is then followed by some discussion on potential applications of multiscroll chaotic attractors, including secure and digital communications, synchronous prediction, random bit generation, and so on. The article is finally concluded with some future research outlooks, putting the important subject into engineering perspective.