Dynamics of Linear Systems over Finite Commutative Rings

Abstract

The dynamics of a linear dynamical system over a finite field can be described by using the elementary divisors of the corresponding matrix. It is natural to extend the investigation to a general finite commutative ring. In a previous publication, the last two authors developed an efficient algorithm to determine whether a linear dynamical system over a finite commutative ring is a fixed point system or not. The algorithm can also be used to reduce the problem of finding the cycles of such a system to the case where the system is given by an automorphism. Here, we further analyze the cycle structure of such a system and develop a method to determine its cycles.