Introduction to Dynamical Systems

Bol Partner

Provides a mathematical treatment of the introduction to qualitative differential equations and discrete dynamical systems. The treatment includes theoretical proofs, methods of calculation, and applications. The two parts of the book can be covered independently in one semester each or combined together into a year long course. This book gives a mathematical treatment of the introduction to qualitative differential equations and discrete dynamical systems. The treatment includes theoretical proofs, methods of calculation, and applications. The two parts of the book, continuous time of differential equations and discrete time of dynamical systems, can be covered independently in one semester each or combined together into a year long course. The material on differential equations introduces the qualitative or geometric approach through a treatment of linear systems in any dimensions. There follows chapters where equilibria are the most important feature, where scalar (energy) functions is the principal tool, where periodic orbits appear, and finally chaotic systems of differential equations. The many different approaches are systematically introduced through examples and theorems. The material on discrete dynamical systems starts with maps of one variable and proceeds to systems in higher dimensions. The treatment starts with examples where the periodic points can be found explicitly and then introduces symbolic dynamics to analyze where they can be shown to exist but not given in explicit form. Chaotic systems are presented both mathematically and more computationally using Lyapunov exponents. With the one-dimensional maps as models, the multidimensional maps cover the same material in higher dimensions. This higher dimensional material is less computational and more conceptual and theoretical. The final chapter on fractals introduces various dimensions which is another computational tool for measuring the complexity of a system. It also treats iterated function systems which give examples of complicated sets. In the second edition of the book, much of the material has been rewritten to clarify the presentation. Also, some new material has been included in both parts of the book. This book can be used as a textbook for an advanced undergraduate course on ordinary differential equations and/or dynamical systems. Prerequisites are standard courses in calculus (single variable and multivariable), linear algebra, and introductory differential equations.

Bol

This book provides a broad introduction to the subject of dynamical systems, suitable for a one- or two-semester graduate course. In the first chapter, the authors introduce over a dozen examples, and then use these examples throughout the book to motivate and clarify the development of the theory. Topics include topological dynamics, symbolic dynamics, ergodic theory, hyperbolic dynamics, one-dimensional dynamics, complex dynamics, and measure-theoretic entropy. The authors top off the presentation with some beautiful and remarkable applications of dynamical systems to such areas as number theory, data storage, and Internet search engines. This book grew out of lecture notes from the graduate dynamical systems course at the University of Maryland, College Park, and reflects not only the tastes of the authors, but also to some extent the collective opinion of the Dynamics Group at the University of Maryland, which includes experts in virtually every major area of dynamical systems.