Textbook on chaos; class-tested, elementary but rigorous, with applications and lots of pictures and exercises.

BACKGROUND Sir Isaac Newton hrought to the world the idea of modeling the motion of physical systems with equations. It was necessary to invent calculus along the way, since fundamental equations of motion involve velocities and accelerations, of position. His greatest single success was his discovery that which are derivatives the motion of the planets and moons of the solar system resulted from a single fundamental source: the gravitational attraction of the hodies. He demonstrated that the ohserved motion of the planets could he explained hy assuming that there is a gravitational attraction he tween any two ohjects, a force that is proportional to the product of masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The circular, elliptical, and parabolic orhits of astronomy were v INTRODUCTION no longer fundamental determinants of motion, but were approximations of laws specified with differential equations. His methods are now used in modeling motion and change in all areas of science. Subsequent generations of scientists extended the method of using differ ential equations to describe how physical systems evolve. But the method had a limitation. While the differential equations were sufficient to determine the behavior-in the sense that solutions of the equations did exist-it was frequently difficult to figure out what that behavior would be. It was often impossible to write down solutions in relatively simple algebraic expressions using a finite number of terms. Series solutions involving infinite sums often would not converge beyond some finite time.

This book focuses on explaining the fundamentals of the physics and mathematics of chaotic phenomena by studying examples from one-dimensional maps and simple differential equations. It is helpful for postgraduate students and researchers in mathematics, physics and other areas of science.

The study of nonlinear dynamical systems has exploded in the past 25 years, and Robert L. Devaney has made these advanced research developments accessible to undergraduate and graduate mathematics students as well as researchers in other disciplines with the introduction of this widely praised book. In this second edition of his best-selling text, Devaney includes new material on the orbit diagram fro maps of the interval and the Mandelbrot set, as well as striking color photos illustrating both Julia and Mandelbrot sets. This book assumes no prior acquaintance with advanced mathematical topics such as measure theory, topology, and differential geometry. Assuming only a knowledge of calculus, Devaney introduces many of the basic concepts of modern dynamical systems theory and leads the reader to the point of current research in several areas.

A timely, accessible introduction to the mathematics of chaos. The past three decades have seen dramatic developments in the theory of dynamical systems, particularly regarding the exploration of chaotic behavior. Complex patterns of even simple processes arising in biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, economics, and a host of other disciplines have been investigated, explained, and utilized. Introduction to Discrete Dynamical Systems and Chaos makes these exciting and important ideas accessible to students and scientists by assuming, as a background, only the standard undergraduate training in calculus and linear algebra. Chaos is introduced at the outset and is then incorporated as an integral part of the theory of discrete dynamical systems in one or more dimensions. Both phase space and parameter space analysis are developed with ample exercises, more than 100 figures, and important practical examples such as the dynamics of atmospheric changes and neural networks. An appendix provides readers with clear guidelines on how to use Mathematica to explore discrete dynamical systems numerically. Selected programs can also be downloaded from a Wiley ftp site (address in preface). Another appendix lists possible projects that can be assigned for classroom investigation. Based on the author's 1993 book, but boasting at least 60% new, revised, and updated material, the present Introduction to Discrete Dynamical Systems and Chaos is a unique and extremely useful resource for all scientists interested in this active and intensely studied field.

This introduction to applied nonlinear dynamics and chaos places emphasis on teaching the techniques and ideas that will enable students to take specific dynamical systems and obtain some quantitative information about their behavior. The new edition has been updated and extended throughout, and contains a detailed glossary of terms. From the reviews: "Will serve as one of the most eminent introductions to the geometric theory of dynamical systems." --Monatshefte für Mathematik

Chaos exists in systems all around us. This introduction draws in philosophy, literature, and maths to explain Chaos Theory, showing the variety of its applications in the real world, from technology to global warming, politics, and even gambling on the stock market.

Thirty years in the making, this revised text by three of the world's leading mathematicians covers the dynamical aspects of ordinary differential equations. it explores the relations between dynamical systems and certain fields outside pure mathematics, and has become the standard textbook for graduate courses in this area. The Second Edition now brings students to the brink of contemporary research, starting from a background that includes only calculus and elementary linear algebra. The authors are tops in the field of advanced mathematics, including Steve Smale who is a recipient of.

An introduction to nonlinear differential equations which equips undergraduate students with the know-how to appreciate stability theory and bifurcation.

Mathematics of Computing -- Miscellaneous.