The subject of nonlinear partial differential equations has seen a lot of research on systems underlying basic theories in geometry, topology and physics. These mathematical models share the property of being derived from variational principles. Understanding the structure of critical configurations and the dynamics of the corresponding evolution problems is important for the development of physical theories and their applications. This volume contains survey lectures in four different areas, delivered at the 1995 Barrett Lectures held at the University of Tennessee. The lectures are on:...

This volume presents the proceedings of a series of lectures hosted by the Math- ematics Department of The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, March 22-24, 1995, under the title "Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations in Geometry and Physics" . While the relevance of partial differential equations to problems in differen- tial geometry has been recognized since the early days of the latter subject, the idea that differential equations of differential-geometric origin can be useful in the formulation of physical theories is a much more recent one. Perhaps the earliest emergence of systems of...