Abstract
First-order difference equations arise in many contexts in the biological, economic and social sciences. Such equations, even though simple and deterministic, can exhibit a surprising array of dynamic behavior, from stable points, to a bifurcating hierarchy of stable cycles, to apparently random fluctuations. There are consequently many problems, some concerned with delicate mathematical aspects of the fine structure of the trajectories, and some concerned with the practical implications and applications. An interpretive review of them is presented.

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