This volume reviews the current understanding of the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam (FPU) Problem without trying to force coherence on differing perspectives on the same problem by various groups or approaches. The contributions lead the interested but inexperienced reader through gradual understanding, starting from general analysis and proceeding towards more specialized topics. The volume also includes a reprint of the original Fermi-Pasta-Ulam paper.

This volume reviews the current understanding of the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam (FPU) Problem without trying to force coherence on differing perspectives on the same problem by various groups or approaches. The contributions lead the interested but inexperienced reader through gradual understanding, starting from general analysis and proceeding towards more specialized topics. The volume also includes a reprint of the original Fermi-Pasta-Ulam paper.

An introduction to certain aspects of developments in the modern theory of dynamics and simulation for a wide audience of scientifically literate readers. Unlike general texts on chaos theory and dynamical systems theory, this book follows the work on a specific problem at the very beginning of the modern era of dynamics, from its inception in 1954 through the early 1970s. It discusses such problems as the nonlinear oscillator simulation, the seminal discoveries at MIT in the early 1950s, the mathematical rediscovery of solitons in the late 1950s and the general problems of computability. In following these developments, the initial development of many of the now standard techniques of nonlinear modelling and numerical simulation are seen. No other text focuses so tightly and covers so completely one specific, pernicious problem at the heart of dynamics.

This is a unique book that presents rigorous mathematical results on Fermi-Pasta-Ulam lattices, a field of great interest in nonlinear analysis, nonlinear science, mathematical physics, etc. It considers travelling waves and time periodic oscillations in infinite Fermi-Pasta-Ulam lattices, which are not necessarily spatially homogenous. Similar systems, infinite chains of linearly coupled nonlinear oscillators, are also discussed. The book is self-contained and includes a number of open problems, making it suitable for use in a course for graduate students./a

The true story that inspired the 2020 film. The autobiography of mathematician Stanislaw Ulam, one of the great scientific minds of the twentieth century, tells a story rich with amazingly prophetic speculations and peppered with lively anecdotes. As a member of the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1944 on, Ulam helped to precipitate some of the most dramatic changes of the postwar world. He was among the first to use and advocate computers for scientific research, originated ideas for the nuclear propulsion of space vehicles, and made fundamental contributions to many of today's most challenging mathematical projects. With his wide-ranging interests, Ulam never emphasized the importance of his contributions to the research that resulted in the hydrogen bomb. Now Daniel Hirsch and William Mathews reveal the true story of Ulam's pivotal role in the making of the "Super," in their historical introduction to this behind-the-scenes look at the minds and ideas that ushered in the nuclear age. An epilogue by Françoise Ulam and Jan Mycielski sheds new light on Ulam's character and mathematical originality.

Chaos: from simple models to complex systems aims to guide science and engineering students through chaos and nonlinear dynamics from classical examples to the most recent fields of research. The first part, intended for undergraduate and graduate students, is a gentle and self-contained introduction to the concepts and main tools for the characterization of deterministic chaotic systems, with emphasis to statistical approaches. The second part can be used as a reference by researchers as it focuses on more advanced topics including the characterization of chaos with tools of information theory and applications encompassing fluid and celestial mechanics, chemistry and biology. The book is novel in devoting attention to a few topics often overlooked in introductory textbooks and which are usually found only in advanced surveys such as: information and algorithmic complexity theory applied to chaos and generalization of Lyapunov exponents to account for spatiotemporal and non-infinitesimal perturbations. The selection of topics, numerous illustrations, exercises and proposals for computer experiments make the book ideal for both introductory and advanced courses. Sample Chapter(s). Introduction (164 KB). Chapter 1: First Encounter with Chaos (1,323 KB). Contents: First Encounter with Chaos; The Language of Dynamical Systems; Examples of Chaotic Behaviors; Probabilistic Approach to Chaos; Characterization of Chaotic Dynamical Systems; From Order to Chaos in Dissipative Systems; Chaos in Hamiltonian Systems; Chaos and Information Theory; Coarse-Grained Information and Large Scale Predictability; Chaos in Numerical and Laboratory Experiments; Chaos in Low Dimensional Systems; Spatiotemporal Chaos; Turbulence as a Dynamical System Problem; Chaos and Statistical Mechanics: Fermi-Pasta-Ulam a Case Study. Readership: Students and researchers in science (physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology) and engineering.

First published 1987 as Los Alamos science, special issue. A compendium of biographical (and autobiographical) notes, essays, and scientific articles reflecting on Ulam's legacy of interdisciplinary approaches to problems in math, physics, and biology; and previously unpublished miscellanea--conversations, a satirical play. The whole serves to celebrate the personality and contributions of the dynamic mathematician. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR