So far we’ve only seen discrete dynamical systems, which are used to model events over time wherein the time is measured in discrete intervals. Now, we will begin looking at Differential Equations, which as you might guess are used to model systems wherein time is measured continuously. 

Here’s a graphic highlighting similarities and differences between DDSs and DEs. Come back to this later if you need. It can be very  helpful to recognize that there are many similarities between discrete dynamical systems and differential equations, but it can sometimes be confusing to remember how they are distinct.