Geometrical (in particular, topological) methods in nonlinear analysis were originally invented by Banach, Birkhoff, Kellogg, Schauder, Leray, and others in existence proofs. Since about the fifties, these methods turned out to be essentially the sole approach to a variety of new problems: the investigation of iteration processes and other procedures in numerical analysis, in bifur cation problems and branching of solutions, estimates on the number of solutions and criteria for the existence of nonzero solutions, the analysis of the structure of the solution set, etc. These methods have been widely applied to the theory of forced vibrations and auto-oscillations, to various problems in the theory of elasticity and fluid. mechanics, to control theory, theoretical physics, and various parts of mathematics. At present, nonlinear analysis along with its geometrical, topological, analytical, variational, and other methods is developing tremendously thanks to research work in many countries. Totally new ideas have been advanced, difficult problems have been solved, and new applications have been indicated. To enumerate the publications of the last few years one would need dozens of pages. On the other hand, many problems of non linear analysis are still far from a solution (problems arising from the internal development of mathematics and, in particular, problems arising in the process of interpreting new problems in the natural sciences). We hope that the English edition of our book will contribute to the further propagation of the ideas of nonlinear analysis.

Geometrical (in particular, topological) methods in nonlinear analysis were originally invented by Banach, Birkhoff, Kellogg, Schauder, Leray, and others in existence proofs. Since about the fifties, these methods turned out to be essentially the sole approach to a variety of new problems: the investigation of iteration processes and other procedures in numerical analysis, in bifur cation problems and branching of solutions, estimates on the number of solutions and criteria for the existence of nonzero solutions, the analysis of the structure of the solution set, etc. These methods have been widely applied to the theory of forced vibrations and auto-oscillations, to various problems in the theory of elasticity and fluid. mechanics, to control theory, theoretical physics, and various parts of mathematics. At present, nonlinear analysis along with its geometrical, topological, analytical, variational, and other methods is developing tremendously thanks to research work in many countries. Totally new ideas have been advanced, difficult problems have been solved, and new applications have been indicated. To enumerate the publications of the last few years one would need dozens of pages. On the other hand, many problems of non linear analysis are still far from a solution (problems arising from the internal development of mathematics and, in particular, problems arising in the process of interpreting new problems in the natural sciences). We hope that the English edition of our book will contribute to the further propagation of the ideas of nonlinear analysis.

This book deals with such important subjects as variational methods, the continuity method, parabolic equations on fiber bundles, ideas concerning points of concentration, blowing-up technique, geometric and topological methods. It explores important geometric problems that are of interest to many mathematicians and scientists but have only recently been partially solved.

When M. Vidyasagar wrote the first edition of Nonlinear Systems Analysis, most control theorists considered the subject of nonlinear systems a mystery. Since then, advances in the application of differential geometric methods to nonlinear analysis have matured to a stage where every control theorist needs to possess knowledge of the basic techniques because virtually all physical systems are nonlinear in nature. The second edition, now republished in SIAM's Classics in Applied Mathematics series, provides a rigorous mathematical analysis of the behavior of nonlinear control systems under a variety of situations. It develops nonlinear generalizations of a large number of techniques and methods widely used in linear control theory. The book contains three extensive chapters devoted to the key topics of Lyapunov stability, input-output stability, and the treatment of differential geometric control theory. Audience: this text is designed for use at the graduate level in the area of nonlinear systems and as a resource for professional researchers and practitioners working in areas such as robotics, spacecraft control, motor control, and power systems.

Investigations in modem nonlinear analysis rely on ideas, methods and prob lems from various fields of mathematics, mechanics, physics and other applied sciences. In the second half of the twentieth century many prominent, ex emplary problems in nonlinear analysis were subject to intensive study and examination. The united ideas and methods of differential geometry, topology, differential equations and functional analysis as well as other areas of research in mathematics were successfully applied towards the complete solution of com plex problems in nonlinear analysis. It is not possible to encompass in the scope of one book all concepts, ideas, methods and results related to nonlinear analysis. Therefore, we shall restrict ourselves in this monograph to nonlinear elliptic boundary value problems as well as global geometric problems. In order that we may examine these prob lems, we are provided with a fundamental vehicle: The theory of convex bodies and hypersurfaces. In this book we systematically present a series of centrally significant results obtained in the second half of the twentieth century up to the present time. Particular attention is given to profound interconnections between various divisions in nonlinear analysis. The theory of convex functions and bodies plays a crucial role because the ellipticity of differential equations is closely connected with the local and global convexity properties of their solutions. Therefore it is necessary to have a sufficiently large amount of material devoted to the theory of convex bodies and functions and their connections with partial differential equations.

This book develops methods which explore some new interconnections and interrelations between Analysis and Topology and their applications. Emphasis is given to several recent results which have been obtained mainly during the last years and which cannot be found in other books in Nonlinear Analysis. Interest in this subject area has rapidly increased over the last decade, yet the presentation of research has been confined mainly to journal articles.

This book is not a textbook, but rather a coherent collection of papers from the field of partial differential equations. Nevertheless we believe that it may very well serve as a good introduction into some topics of this classical field of analysis which, despite of its long history, is highly modem and well prospering. Richard Courant wrote in 1950: "It has always been a temptationfor mathematicians to present the crystallized product of their thought as a deductive general theory and to relegate the individual mathematical phenomenon into the role of an example. The reader who submits to the dogmatic form will be easily indoctrinated. Enlightenment, however, must come from an understanding of motives; live mathematical development springs from specific natural problems which can be easily understood, but whose solutions are difficult and demand new methods or more general significance. " We think that many, if not all, papers of this book are written in this spirit and will give the reader access to an important branch of analysis by exhibiting interest ing problems worth to be studied. Most of the collected articles have an extensive introductory part describing the history of the presented problems as well as the state of the art and offer a well chosen guide to the literature. This way the papers became lengthier than customary these days, but the level of presentation is such that an advanced graduate student should find the various articles both readable and stimulating.