abstract = "An iterated function f(x) is a function that when
composed with itself, produces a given expression
f(f(x))=g(x). Iterated functions are essential
constructs in fractal theory and dynamical systems, but
few analysis techniques exist for solving them
analytically. Here we propose using genetic programming
to find analytical solutions to iterated functions of
arbitrary form. We demonstrate this technique on the
notoriously hard iterated function problem of finding
f(x) such that f(f(x))=x2--2. While some analytical
techniques have been developed to find a specific
solution to problems of this form, we show that it can
be readily solved using genetic programming without
recourse to deep mathematical insight. We find a
previously unknown solution to this problem, suggesting
that genetic programming may be an essential tool for
finding solutions to arbitrary iterated functions.",