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.

This book focuses on the computational analysis of nonlinear vibrations of structural members (beams, plates, panels, shells), where the studied dynamical problems can be reduced to the consideration of one spatial variable and time. The reduction is carried out based on a formal mathematical approach aimed at reducing the problems with infinite dimension to finite ones. The process also includes a transition from governing nonlinear partial differential equations to a set of finite number of ordinary differential equations.Beginning with an overview of the recent results devoted to the analysis and control of nonlinear dynamics of structural members, placing emphasis on stability, buckling, bifurcation and deterministic chaos, simple chaotic systems are briefly discussed. Next, bifurcation and chaotic dynamics of the Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beams including the geometric and physical nonlinearity as well as the elastic-plastic deformations are illustrated. Despite the employed classical numerical analysis of nonlinear phenomena, the various wavelet transforms and the four Lyapunov exponents are used to detect, monitor and possibly control chaos, hyper-chaos, hyper-hyper-chaos and deep chaos exhibited by rectangular plate-strips and cylindrical panels.The book is intended for post-graduate and doctoral students, applied mathematicians, physicists, teachers and lecturers of universities and companies dealing with a nonlinear dynamical system, as well as theoretically inclined engineers of mechanical and civil engineering.

This text is a short yet complete course on nonlinear dynamics of deterministic systems. Conceived as a modular set of 15 concise lectures it reflects the many years of teaching experience by the authors. The lectures treat in turn the fundamental aspects of the theory of dynamical systems, aspects of stability and bifurcations, the theory of deterministic chaos and attractor dimensions, as well as the elements of the theory of Poincare recurrences.Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the generation of periodic, quasiperiodic and chaotic self-sustained oscillations and to the issue of synchronization in such systems. This book is aimed at graduate students and non-specialist researchers with a background in physics, applied mathematics and engineering wishing to enter this exciting field of research.

Nonlinear dynamical systems play an important role in a number of disciplines. The physical, biological, economic and even sociological worlds are comprised of com plex nonlinear systems that cannot be broken down into the behavior of their con stituents and then reassembled to form the whole. The lack of a superposition principle in such systems has challenged researchers to use a variety of analytic and numerical methods in attempts to understand the interesting nonlinear interactions that occur in the World around us. General relativity is a nonlinear dynamical theory par excellence. Only recently has the nonlinear evolution of the gravitational field described by the theory been tackled through the use of methods used in other disciplines to study the importance of time dependent nonlinearities. The complexity of the equations of general relativity has been (and still remains) a major hurdle in the formulation of concrete mathematical concepts. In the past the imposition of a high degree of symmetry has allowed the construction of exact solutions to the Einstein equations. However, most of those solutions are nonphysical and of those that do have a physical significance, many are often highly idealized or time independent.

In economics agents are assumed to choose on the basis of rational calculations aimed at the maximization of their pleasure or profit. Formally, agents are said to manifest transitive and consistent preferences in attempting to maximize their utility in the presence of several constraints. They operate according to the choice imperative: given a set of alternatives, choose the best. This imperative works well in a static and simplistic framework, but it may fail or vary when 'the best' is changing continuously. This approach has been questioned by a descriptive approach that springing from the complexity theory tries to give a scientific basis to the way in which individuals really choose, showing that those models of human nature is routinely falsified by experiments since people are neither selfish nor rational. Thus inductive rules of thumb are usually implemented in order to make decisions in the presence of incomplete and heterogeneous information sets.

The Principle of Large Numbers indicates that macro fluctuations have weak microfoundations; persistent business cycles and interrupted technologies can be better characterized by macro vitality and meso foundations. Economic growth is limited by market extent and ecological constraints. The trade-off between stability and complexity is the foundation of cultural diversity and mixed economies. The new science of complexity sheds light on the sources of economic instability and complexity. This book consists of the major work of Professor Ping Chen, a pioneer in studying economic chaos and economic complexity. They are selected from works completed since 1987, including original research on the evolutionary dynamics of the division of labour, empirical and theoretical studies of economic chaos and stochastic models of collective behavior. Offering a new perspective on market instability and the changing world order, the basic pillars in equilibrium economics are challenged by solid evidence of economic complexity and time asymmetry, including Friedman’s theory of exogenous money and efficient market, the Frisch model of noise-driven cycles, the Lucas model of microfoundations and rational expectations, the Black-Scholes model of option pricing, and the Coase theory of transaction costs. Throughout, a general theory based on complex evolutionary economics is developed, which integrates different insights from Marx, Marshall, Schumpeter, Keynes and offers a new understanding of the evolutionary history of division of labour. This book will be of interest to postgraduates and researchers in Economics, including macroeconomics, financial economics, advanced econometrics and economic methodology.

"Brilliant important strongly recommended reads at times like a 'Tom Robbins of physics'." - Jacquelyn Small, author of Awakening in Time, and Becoming a Practical Mystic "With this book, Thomas Brophy establishes his credentials as a paradigmatist, that rarest of thinkers, whose models of reality not only enhance human understanding of their world, but give form to new historical movements. By integrating several cutting edge paradigms, and by highlighting the role of spirit in the universe, The Mechanism Demands a Mysticism is sure to inform, instruct, entertain, and even inspire its readers." -Stanley Krippner, Ph.D., former president of the American Psychological Association's Division of Humanistic Psychology; author of Dream Telepathy. "Integrating the words of many holy people with scientific theories and a study of phenomena, Brophy indicates the limitations of scientific and religious dogmas this kind of integration will become more and more necessary in the next century." -Hiroshi Motoyama, Ph.D., Litt. D., author of Karma and Reincarnation; Head Priest of Tamamitsu Shinto Shrine, Tokyo. "Well, 'just a few pages' has turned into reading the whole thing. Eminently readable and highly entertaining or infotaining. A good book! Never thought of juxtaposing Newton and Basho myself." -Yasuhiko Kimura, CEO of the University of Science & Philosophy and Director of the Twilight Club/Center for Evolutionary Ethics, former Zen priest. "Your ideas are profound. The Mechanism Demands a Mysticism deserves a broader exposure." - Jeffrey Mishlove, Ph.D., host of Thinking Allowed, and "Virtual U" Wisdom Radio. "You are opening the eyes of scientists all over. Bravo!" -Judith Orloff, M.D. Board Certified Psychiatrist, author of Second Sight.

A psychology text that you'll actually want to read! PSYCHOLOGY: A JOURNEY is guaranteed to spark your curiosity, insight, imagination, and interest. Using the proven SQ4R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Reflect, and Review) active learning system to help you study smarter, Coon leads you to an understanding of major concepts as well as how psychology relates to the challenges of everyday life. Each chapter of this book takes you into a different realm of psychology, such as personality, abnormal behavior, memory, consciousness, and human development. Each realm is complex and fascinating, with many pathways, landmarks, and detours to discover. Take the journey and find yourself becoming actively involved with the material as you develop a basic understanding of psychology that will help you succeed in this course and enrich your life. Available with InfoTrac Student Collections http://gocengage.com/infotrac.

This volume is the proceedings of a workshop to discuss the recent work on complex systems in physics and biology, its epistemological and cultural implications, and its effect for the development of these two sciences. The workshop is geared towards physicists, biologists, and science historians.