Pattern selection in a ring of Kuramoto oscillators

Abstract: Emergence of generalized synchronization patterns in a ring of identical and locally coupled Kuramoto-type rotators are investigated by different methods. These approaches offer a useful visual picture for understanding the complexity of the dynamics in the high dimensional state-space of this system. Beside the known stable stationary points novel unstable states are revealed. We find that the prediction of the final stationary state is limited by the presence of such saddle points. This is illustrated by considering and comparing two different attempts for forecasting the final stationary state