Nonlinear Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems [Paperback]

For lecture courses that cover the classical theory of nonlinear differential equations associated with Poincare and Lyapunov and introduce the student to the ideas of bifurcation theory and chaos, this text is ideal. Its excellent pedagogical style typically consists of an insightful overview followed by theorems, illustrative examples, and exercises.

1 Introduction.- 1.1 Definitions and notation.- 1.2 Existence and uniqueness.- 1.3 Gronwalls inequality.- 2 Autonomous equations.- 2.1 Phase-space, orbits.- 2.2 Critical points and linearisation.- 2.3 Periodic solutions.- 2.4 First integrals and integral manifolds.- 2.5 Evolution of a volume element, Liouvilles theorem.- 2.6 Exercises.- 3 Critical points.- 3.1 Two-dimensional linear systems.- 3.2 Remarks on three-dimensional linear systems.- 3.3 Critical points of nonlinear equations.- 3.4 Exercises.- 4 Periodic solutions.- 4.1 Bendixsons criterion.- 4.2 Geometric auxiliaries, preparation for the Poincar?-Bendixson theorem.- 4.3 The Poincar?-Bendixson theorem.- 4.4 Applications of the Poincar?-Bendixson theorem.- 4.5 Periodic solutions in ?n.- 4.6 Exercises.- 5 Introduction to the theory of stability.- 5.1 Simple examples.- 5.2 Stability of equilibrium solutions.- 5.3 Stability of periodic solutions.- 5.4 Linearisation.- 5.5 Exercises.- 6 Linear Equations.- 6.1 Equations with constant coefficients.- 6.2 Equations with coefficients which have a limit.- 6.3 Equations with periodic coefficients.- 6.4 Exercises.- 7 Stability by linearisation.- 7.1 Asymptotic stability of the trivial solution.- 7.2 Instability of the trivial solution.- 7.3 Stability of periodic solutions of autonomous equations.- 7.4 Exercises.- 8 Stability analysis by the direct method.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Lyapunov functions.- 8.3 Hamiltonian systems and systems with first integrals.- 8.4 Applications and examples.- 8.5 Exercises.- 9 Introduction to perturbation theory.- 9.1 Background and elementary examples.- 9.2 Basic material.l“M