These notes are based on a series of lectures given in the Lefschetz Center for Dynamical Systems in the Division of Applied Mathematics at Brown University during the academic year 1978-79. The purpose of the lectures was to give an introduction to the applications of centre manifold theory to differential equations. Most of the material is presented in an informal fashion, by means of worked examples in the hope that this clarifies the use of centre manifold theory. The main application of centre manifold theory given in these notes is to dynamic bifurcation theory. Dynamic bifurcation...

From the reviews: "This book is concerned with the application of methods from dynamical systems and bifurcation theories to the study of nonlinear oscillations. Chapter 1 provides a review of basic results in the theory of dynamical systems, covering both ordinary differential equations and discrete mappings. Chapter 2 presents 4 examples from nonlinear oscillations. Chapter 3 contains a discussion of the methods of local bifurcation theory for flows and maps, including center manifolds and normal forms. Chapter 4 develops analytical methods of averaging and perturbation theory....

The book that follows is an experiment in the teaching of population theory and analysis. A sequence of problems where each is a self-contained puzzle, and the successful solution of each which puts the student in a position to tackle the next, is a means of securing the active participation of the learner and so the mastery of a technical subject. How far our questions are the exciting puzzles at which we aimed, and how far the sequence constitutes a rounded course in demography, must be left to the user to judge. One test of a good problem is whether a solution, that may take hours of...

From the reviews "A good introduction to a subject important for its capacity to circumvent theoretical and practical obstacles, and therefore particularly prized in the applications of mathematics. The book presents a balanced view of the methods and their usefulness: integrals on the real line and in the complex plane which arise in different contexts, and solutions of differential equations not expressible as integrals. Murray includes both historical remarks and references to sources or other more complete treatments. More useful as a guide for self-study than as a reference work,...

McCrimmon, having gotten Grierson's attention, continued: "A breakthrough, you say? If it's in economics, at least it can't be dangerous. Nothing like gene engineering, laser beams, sex hormones or international relations. That's where we don't want any breakthroughs. " (Galbraith, 1. K. (1990) A Tenured Profes sor, Houghton Mifflin; Boston. ) To judge astronomy] in this way a narrow utilitarian point of view] demon strates not only how poor we are, but also how small, narrow, and indolent our minds are; it shows a disposition always to calculate the payolTbefore the work, a cold heart and...

Fluid dynamics is an ancient science incredibly alive today. Modern technol- ogy and new needs require a deeper knowledge of the behavior of real fluids, and new discoveries or steps forward pose, quite often, challenging and diffi- cult new mathematical {:: oblems. In this framework, a special role is played by incompressible nonviscous (sometimes called perfect) flows. This is a mathematical model consisting essentially of an evolution equation (the Euler equation) for the velocity field of fluids. Such an equation, which is nothing other than the Newton laws plus some additional structural...

The first edition of this book was originally published in 1985 under the ti- tle "Probabilistic Properties of Deterministic Systems. " In the intervening years, interest in so-called "chaotic" systems has continued unabated but with a more thoughtful and sober eye toward applications, as befits a ma- turing field. This interest in the serious usage of the concepts and techniques of nonlinear dynamics by applied scientists has probably been spurred more by the availability of inexpensive computers than by any other factor. Thus, computer experiments have been prominent, suggesting the wealth...

The present book builds upon an earlier work of J. Hale, "Theory of Func- tional Differential Equations" published in 1977. We have tried to maintain the spirit of that book and have retained approximately one-third of the material intact. One major change was a complete new presentation of lin- ear systems (Chapters 6 9) for retarded and neutral functional differential equations. The theory of dissipative systems (Chapter 4) and global at- tractors was completely revamped as well as the invariant manifold theory (Chapter 10) near equilibrium points and periodic orbits. A more complete theory...

The first course in Analysis, which follows calculus, along with other courses, such as differential equations and elementary linear algebra, in the curricu- lum, presents special pedagogical challenges. There is a change of stress from computational manipulation to "proof. " Indeed, the course can become more a course in Logic than one in Analysis. Many students, caught short by a weak command of the means of mathematical discourse and unsure of what is expected of them, what "the game" is, suffer bouts of a kind of mental paralysis. This text attempts to address these problems in several...

1. 1 A paradigm About one hundred years ago, Maurice Couette, a French physicist, de- signed an apparatus consisting of two coaxial cylinders, the space between the cylinders being filled with a viscous fluid and the outer cylinder being rotated at angular velocity O2. The purpose of this experiment was, follow- ing an idea of the Austrian physicist Max Margules, to deduce the viscosity of the fluid from measurements of the torque exerted by the fluid on the inner cylinder (the fluid is assumed to adhere to the walls of the cylinders). At least when O is not too large, the fluid flow is...