A rich variety of books devoted to dynamical chaos, solitons, self-organization has appeared in recent years. These problems were all considered independently of one another. Therefore many of readers of these books do not suspect that the problems discussed are divisions of a great generalizing science - the theory of oscillations and waves. This science is not some branch of physics or mechanics, it is a science in its own right. It is in some sense a meta-science. In this respect the theory of oscillations and waves is closest to mathematics. In this book we call the reader's attention to the present-day theory of non-linear oscillations and waves. Oscillatory and wave processes in the systems of diversified physical natures, both periodic and chaotic, are considered from a unified poin t of view . The relation between the theory of oscillations and waves, non-linear dynamics and synergetics is discussed. One of the purposes of this book is to convince reader of the necessity of a thorough study popular branches of of the theory of oscillat ions and waves, and to show that such science as non-linear dynamics, synergetics, soliton theory, and so on, are, in fact , constituent parts of this theory. The primary audiences for this book are researchers having to do with oscillatory and wave processes, and both students and post-graduate students interested in a deep study of the general laws and applications of the theory of oscillations and waves.

'Bt moi ..... si j'avait 50 comment en revenir. je One service IlUllbcmatics has rendered the human race. It has put common sense back n'y ser.lis point a116.' IulesVeme where it belongs. on the topmost shelf next to the dusty canister labelled 'discarded IIOIISCIISC.. Erie T. Bell The series is divergent; thelefore we may be able to do something with it. O. Heaviside Mathematics is a tool for thought. A highly necessary tool in a world where both feedback and nonlineari ties abound. Similarly. all kinds of parts of mathematics serve as tools for other parts and for other sci ences. Applying a simple rewriting rule to the quote on the right above one finds such statements as: 'One ser vice topology has rendered mathematical physics ....; 'One service logic has rendered computer science .. .'; 'One service category theory has rendered mathematics .. .'. All arguably true. And all statements obtainable this way form part of the raison d'8tre of this series."

A rich variety of books devoted to dynamical chaos, solitons, self-organization has appeared in recent years. These problems were all considered independently of one another. Therefore many of readers of these books do not suspect that the problems discussed are divisions of a great generalizing science - the theory of oscillations and waves. This science is not some branch of physics or mechanics, it is a science in its own right. It is in some sense a meta-science. In this respect the theory of oscillations and waves is closest to mathematics. In this book we call the reader's attention to the present-day theory of non-linear oscillations and waves. Oscillatory and wave processes in the systems of diversified physical natures, both periodic and chaotic, are considered from a unified poin t of view . The relation between the theory of oscillations and waves, non-linear dynamics and synergetics is discussed. One of the purposes of this book is to convince reader of the necessity of a thorough study popular branches of of the theory of oscillat ions and waves, and to show that such science as non-linear dynamics, synergetics, soliton theory, and so on, are, in fact , constituent parts of this theory. The primary audiences for this book are researchers having to do with oscillatory and wave processes, and both students and post-graduate students interested in a deep study of the general laws and applications of the theory of oscillations and waves.