Tbis book is intended to provide a few asymptotic methods which can be applied to the dynamics of self-oscillating fields of the reaction-diffusion type and of some related systems. Such systems, forming cooperative fields of a large num of interacting similar subunits, are considered as typical synergetic systems. ber Because each local subunit itself represents an active dynamical system function ing only in far-from-equilibrium situations, the entire system is capable of showing a variety of curious pattern formations and turbulencelike behaviors quite unfamiliar in thermodynamic cooperative fields. I personally believe that the nonlinear dynamics, deterministic or statistical, of fields composed of similar active (Le., non-equilibrium) elements will form an extremely attractive branch of physics in the near future. For the study of non-equilibrium cooperative systems, some theoretical guid ing principle would be highly desirable. In this connection, this book pushes for ward a particular physical viewpoint based on the slaving principle. The dis covery of tbis principle in non-equilibrium phase transitions, especially in lasers, was due to Hermann Haken. The great utility of this concept will again be dem onstrated in tbis book for the fields of coupled nonlinear oscillators.

The concept of macroscopic waves and patterns developing from chemical reaction coupling with diffusion was presented, apparently for the first time, at the Main Meeting of the Deutsche Bunsengesellschaft fur Angewandte Physikalische Chemie, held in Dresden, Germany from May 21 to 24, 1906. Robert Luther, Director of the Physical Chemistry Laboratory in Leipzig, read his paper on the discovery and analysis of propagating reaction-diffusion fronts in autocatalytic chemical reactions [1, 2]. He presented an equation for the velocity of these new waves, V = a(KDC)1/2, and asserted that they might have features in common with propagating action potentials in nerve cell axons. During the discussion period, a skeptic in the audience voiced his objections to this notion. It was none other than the great physical chemist Walther Nernst, who believed that nerve impulse propagation was far too rapid to be akin to the propagating fronts. He was also not willing to accept Luther's wave velocity equation without a derivation. Luther stood his ground, saying his equation was "a simple consequence of the corresponding differential equation. " He described several different autocatalytic reactions that exhibit propagating fronts (recommending gelling the solution to prevent convection) and even presented a demonstration: the autocatalytic permanganate oxidation of oxalate was carried out in a test tube with the image of the front projected onto a screen for the audience.

This book is intended to serve as an introduction to the multidisciplinary ?eld of anomalous diffusion in complex systems such as turbulent plasma, convective rolls, zonal ?ow systems, stochastic magnetic ?elds, etc. In spite of its great importance, turbulent transport has received comparatively little treatment in published mo- graphs. This book attempts a comprehensive description of the scaling approach to turbulent diffusion. From the methodological point of view, the book focuses on the general use of correlation estimates, quasilinear equations, and continuous time random walk - proach. I provide a detailed structure of some derivations when they may be useful for more general purposes. Correlation methods are ?exible tools to obtain tra- port scalings that give priority to the richness of ingredients in a physical pr- lem. The mathematical description developed here is not meant to provide a set of “recipes” for hydrodynamical turbulence or plasma turbulence; rather, it serves to develop the reader’s physical intuition and understanding of the correlation mec- nisms involved.

Nonlinear resonance analysis is a unique mathematical tool that can be used to study resonances in relation to, but independently of, any single area of application. This is the first book to present the theory of nonlinear resonances as a new scientific field, with its own theory, computational methods, applications and open questions. The book includes several worked examples, mostly taken from fluid dynamics, to explain the concepts discussed. Each chapter demonstrates how nonlinear resonance analysis can be applied to real systems, including large-scale phenomena in the Earth's atmosphere and novel wave turbulent regimes, and explains a range of laboratory experiments. The book also contains a detailed description of the latest computer software in the field. It is suitable for graduate students and researchers in nonlinear science and wave turbulence, along with fluid mechanics and number theory. Colour versions of a selection of the figures are available at www.cambridge.org/9780521763608.

The book presents nonlinear, chaotic and fractional dynamics, complex systems and networks, together with cutting-edge research on related topics. The fifteen chapters – written by leading scientists working in the areas of nonlinear, chaotic, and fractional dynamics, as well as complex systems and networks – offer an extensive overview of cutting-edge research on a range of topics, including fundamental and applied research. These include but are not limited to, aspects of synchronization in complex dynamical systems, universality features in systems with specific fractional dynamics, and chaotic scattering. As such, the book provides an excellent and timely snapshot of the current state of research, blending the insights and experiences of many prominent researchers.

Contains a collection of expository papers and advanced research articles which provide an overview the state of the art. Topics include new approaches to the mathematical characterization of spatiotemporal complexity as well as analysis of patterns in a variety of applied fields.

The subject of chaos has invaded practically every area of the natural sciences. Weather patterns are referred to as chaotic. There are chemical reactions and chaotic evolution of insect populations. Atomic and molecular physics have also seen the emergence of the study of chaos in these microscopic domains. This book examines the issue of chaos in nonlinear and dynamical systems, quantum mechanics, biology, and economics.