Perturbations: Theory and Methods gives a thorough introduction to both regular and singular perturbation methods for algebraic and differential equations. Unlike most introductory books on the subject, this one distinguishes between formal and rigorous asymptotic validity, which are commonly confused in books that treat perturbation theory as a bag of heuristic tricks with no foundation. The meaning of "uniformity" is carefully explained in a variety of contexts. All standard methods, such as rescaling, multiple scales, averaging, matching, and the WKB method are covered, and the asymptotic validity (in the rigorous sense) of each method is carefully proved. First published in 1991, this book is still useful today because it is an introduction. It combines perturbation results with those known through other methods. Sometimes a geometrical result (such as the existence of a periodic solution) is rigorously deduced from a perturbation result, and at other times a knowledge of the geometry of the solutions is used to aid in the selection of an effective perturbation method. Dr. Murdock's approach differs from other introductory texts because he attempts to present perturbation theory as a natural part of a larger whole, the mathematical theory of differential equations. He explores the meaning of the results and their connections to other ways of studying the same problems.

Contains well-chosen examples and exercises A student-friendly introduction that follows a workbook type approach

Singular perturbations occur when a small coefficient affects the highest order derivatives in a system of partial differential equations. From the physical point of view singular perturbations generate in the system under consideration thin layers located often but not always at the boundary of the domains that are called boundary layers or internal layers if the layer is located inside the domain. Important physical phenomena occur in boundary layers. The most common boundary layers appear in fluid mechanics, e.g., the flow of air around an airfoil or a whole airplane, or the flow of air around a car. Also in many instances in geophysical fluid mechanics, like the interface of air and earth, or air and ocean. This self-contained monograph is devoted to the study of certain classes of singular perturbation problems mostly related to thermic, fluid mechanics and optics and where mostly elliptic or parabolic equations in a bounded domain are considered. This book is a fairly unique resource regarding the rigorous mathematical treatment of boundary layer problems. The explicit methodology developed in this book extends in many different directions the concept of correctors initially introduced by J. L. Lions, and in particular the lower- and higher-order error estimates of asymptotic expansions are obtained in the setting of functional analysis. The review of differential geometry and treatment of boundary layers in a curved domain is an additional strength of this book. In the context of fluid mechanics, the outstanding open problem of the vanishing viscosity limit of the Navier-Stokes equations is investigated in this book and solved for a number of particular, but physically relevant cases. This book will serve as a unique resource for those studying singular perturbations and boundary layer problems at the advanced graduate level in mathematics or applied mathematics and may be useful for practitioners in other related fields in science and engineering such as aerodynamics, fluid mechanics, geophysical fluid mechanics, acoustics and optics.

Asymptotical problems have always played an important role in probability theory. In classical probability theory dealing mainly with sequences of independent variables, theorems of the type of laws of large numbers, theorems of the type of the central limit theorem, and theorems on large deviations constitute a major part of all investigations. In recent years, when random processes have become the main subject of study, asymptotic investigations have continued to playa major role. We can say that in the theory of random processes such investigations play an even greater role than in classical probability theory, because it is apparently impossible to obtain simple exact formulas in problems connected with large classes of random processes. Asymptotical investigations in the theory of random processes include results of the types of both the laws of large numbers and the central limit theorem and, in the past decade, theorems on large deviations. Of course, all these problems have acquired new aspects and new interpretations in the theory of random processes.

Undergraduates in engineering and the physical sciences receive a thorough introduction to perturbation theory in this useful and accessible text. Students discover methods for obtaining an approximate solution of a mathematical problem by exploiting the presence of a small, dimensionless parameter — the smaller the parameter, the more accurate the approximate solution. Knowledge of perturbation theory offers a twofold benefit: approximate solutions often reveal the exact solution's essential dependence on specified parameters; also, some problems resistant to numerical solutions may yield to perturbation methods. In fact, numerical and perturbation methods can be combined in a complementary way. The text opens with a well-defined treatment of finding the roots of polynomials whose coefficients contain a small parameter. Proceeding to differential equations, the authors explain many techniques for handling perturbations that reorder the equations or involve an unbounded independent variable. Two disparate practical problems that can be solved efficiently with perturbation methods conclude the volume. Written in an informal style that moves from specific examples to general principles, this elementary text emphasizes the "why" along with the "how"; prerequisites include a knowledge of one-variable calculus and ordinary differential equations. This newly revised second edition features an additional appendix concerning the approximate evaluation of integrals.

This book is aimed at researchers and students in physics, mathematics, and engineering. It contains the first systematic presentation of a general approach to the integration of singularly perturbed differential equations describing nonuniform transitions, such as the occurrence of a boundary layer, discontinuities, boundary effects and so on. The method of regularization of singular perturbations presented here can be applied to the asymptotic integration of systems of ordinary and partial differential equations.