What does "strange attractor" mean?

An attractor that has a non-integer dimension or whose dynamics on it are chaotic.

Strange attractor

Common synonyms include: chaotic, chaotic attractor, chaotic attractor, chaotic pattern, complex attractor, complex loop.

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
An attractor that has a non-integer dimension or whose dynamics on it are chaotic.
2
an attractor for which the approach to its final point in phase space is chaotic wordnet

The term was coined by David Ruelle and Floris Takens.