Phase transitions in disordered systems and related dynamical phenomena are a topic of intrinsically high interest in theoretical and experimental physics. This book presents a unified view, adopting concepts from each of the disjoint fields of disordered systems and nonlinear dynamics. Special attention is paid to the glass transition, from both experimental and theoretical viewpoints, to modern concepts of pattern formation, and to the application of the concepts of dynamical systems for understanding equilibrium and nonequilibrium properties of fluids and solids. The content is accessible to graduate students, but will also be of benefit to specialists, since the presentation extends as far as the topics of ongoing research work.

A new edition of this well-established monograph, this volume provides a comprehensive overview over the still fascinating field of chaos research. The authors include recent developments such as systems with restricted degrees of freedom but put also a strong emphasis on the mathematical foundations. Partly illustrated in color, this fourth edition features new sections from applied nonlinear science, like control of chaos, synchronisation of nonlinear systems, and turbulence, as well as recent theoretical concepts like strange nonchaotic attractors, on-off intermittency and spatio-temporal chaotic motion.

Fractals, Diffusion, and Relaxation in Disordered Complex Systems is a special guest-edited, two-part volume of Advances in Chemical Physics that continues to report recent advances with significant, up-to-date chapters by internationally recognized researchers.

This book is about the dynamics of coupled map lattices (CML) and of related spatially extended systems. It will be useful to post-graduate students and researchers seeking an overview of the state-of-the-art and of open problems in this area of nonlinear dynamics. The special feature of this book is that it describes the (mathematical) theory of CML and some related systems and their phenomenology, with some examples of CML modeling of concrete systems (from physics and biology). More precisely, the book deals with statistical properties of (weakly) coupled chaotic maps, geometric aspects of (chaotic) CML, monotonic spatially extended systems, and dynamical models of specific biological systems.

Understanding non-equilibrium properties of classical and quantum many-particle systems is one of the goals of contemporary statistical mechanics. Besides its own interest for the theoretical foundations of irreversible thermodynamics(e.g. of the Fourier's law of heat conduction), this topic is also relevant to develop innovative ideas for nanoscale thermal management with possible future applications to nanotechnologies and effective energetic resources. The first part of the volume (Chapters 1-6) describes the basic models, the phenomenology and the various theoretical approaches to understand heat transport in low-dimensional lattices (1D e 2D). The methods described will include equilibrium and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, hydrodynamic and kinetic approaches and the solution of stochastic models. The second part (Chapters 7-10) deals with applications to nano and microscale heat transfer, as for instance phononic transport in carbon-based nanomaterials, including the prominent case of nanotubes and graphene. Possible future developments on heat flow control and thermoelectric energy conversion will be outlined. This volume aims at being the first step for graduate students and researchers entering the field as well as a reference for the community of scientists that, from different backgrounds (theoretical physics, mathematics, material sciences and engineering), has grown in the recent years around those themes.

Lyapunov exponents lie at the heart of chaos theory, and are widely used in studies of complex dynamics. Utilising a pragmatic, physical approach, this self-contained book provides a comprehensive description of the concept. Beginning with the basic properties and numerical methods, it then guides readers through to the most recent advances in applications to complex systems. Practical algorithms are thoroughly reviewed and their performance is discussed, while a broad set of examples illustrate the wide range of potential applications. The description of various numerical and analytical techniques for the computation of Lyapunov exponents offers an extensive array of tools for the characterization of phenomena such as synchronization, weak and global chaos in low and high-dimensional set-ups, and localization. This text equips readers with all the investigative expertise needed to fully explore the dynamical properties of complex systems, making it ideal for both graduate students and experienced researchers.

1 The Third International OPAALS Conference was an opportunity to explore and discuss digital ecosystem research issues as well as emerging and future trends in the field. The conference was organized by IPTI – Instituto de Pesquisas em Tecnologia e Inovação (www. ipti. org. br). IPTI is a member of the OPAALS Framework P- gramme 7 Network of Excellence, which is led by the London School of Economics and Political Science. OPAALS is a multi-disciplinary research network of excellence for developing the science and technology behind digital ecosystems. The conference was held within the scope of a broader EU–Brazil bilateral workshop hosted by IPTI in cooperation with the Brazilian government and the European Commission and designed to foster EU support of information and communications technologies (ICT) enablement and socio-economic development in Brazil. The event was held in the city of Aracajú, Sergipe, in the northeast of Brazil, during March 22–23, 2010. Aracajú is the capital of the state of Sergipe and is located on the coast, a tropical region with lush vegetation, rivers and mangroves and an e- nomic landscape dominated by fisheries, tourism and the challenges associated with fostering local economic development in the presence of low ICT penetration. Digital ecosystems (DEs) in some ways represent the next generation of ICT and Internet usage. Applicable to many contexts, they will perhaps have the greatest effect in enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to compete on the global stage.

This book offers a collection of original peer-reviewed contributions presented at the 7th International Congress on Design and Modeling of Mechanical Systems (CMSM’2017), held in Hammamet, Tunisia, from the 27th to the 29th of March 2017. It reports on both research findings, innovative industrial applications and case studies concerning mechanical systems and related to modeling and analysis of materials and structures, multiphysics methods, nonlinear dynamics, fluid structure interaction and vibroacoustics, design and manufacturing engineering. Continuing on the tradition of the previous editions, this proceedings offers a broad overview on the state-of-the art in the field and a useful resource for academic and industry specialists active in the field of design and modeling of mechanical systems. CMSM’2017 was jointly organized by two leading Tunisian research laboratories: the Mechanical, Modeling and Manufacturing Laboratory of the National Engineering School of Sfax and the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory of the National Engineering School of Monastir..

Over the past several decades, a This book deals with the characterisation of the structure, the structure determination and the study of the physical properties, especially dynamical and electronic properties of aperiodic crystals. The treatment is based on a description in a space with more dimensions than three, the so-called superspace. This allows us to generalise the standard crystallography and to look differently at the dynamics. The three main classes of aperiodic crystals, modulated phases, incommensurate composites and quasicrystals are treated from a unified point of view, which stresses similarities of the various systems. The book assumes as a prerequisite a knowledge of the fundamental techniques of crystallography and the theory of condensed matter, and covers the literature at the forefront of the field. Since the first edition of this book in 2007, the field of aperiodic crystals has developed considerably, with the discovery of new materials and new structures. Progress has been made in structure determination, in the interpretation and understanding of the structural characteristics and in the calculation of electrons and phonons. This new edition reflects these new developments, and it includes discussions of natural quasicrystals, incommensurate magnetic and multiferroic structures, photonic and mesoscopic quasicrystals. The second edition also includes a number of new exercises that give the reader an opportunityt to check their understanding of the material.

This Volume 44 of Advances in Solid State Physics contains the written versions of most of the invited lectures of the Spring Meeting of the Condensed Matter Physics section of the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft held from March 8 to 12, 2004 in Regensburg, Germany. Many of the topical talks given at the numerous and very lively symposia are also included. They have covered extremely interesting and timely subjects. Thus the book truly reflects the status of the field of solid state physics in 2004, and indicates its importance, not only in Germany but also internationally.