A dynamical search engine for searching a database is also provided. The dynamical search engine includes an array of nonlinear dynamical elements. The nonlinear dynamical element information items in a manner that confines the state of each element on a fixed point and uniquely encodes the information items. The dynamical search engine also includes a controller for controlling electrical signals supplied to elements of the array in a predetermined sequence. One supplied signal increases a state value of each element of the array by a quantity defining a search key that corresponds to a searched-for information item. A subsequently supplied signal updates the state value of each element of the array by performing a nonlinear folding of each state value based on a predetermined pivot.