In this Festschrift dedicated to the 60th birthday of Gregory S. Ezra, selected researchers in theoretical chemistry present research highlights on major developments in the field. Originally published in the journal Theoretical Chemistry Accounts, these outstanding contributions are now available in a hardcover print format, as well as a special electronic edition. This volume provides valuable content for all researchers in theoretical chemistry and will especially benefit those research groups and libraries with limited access to the journal.

Global Bifurcations and Chaos: Analytical Methods is unique in the literature of chaos in that it not only defines the concept of chaos in deterministic systems, but it describes the mechanisms which give rise to chaos (i.e., homoclinic and heteroclinic motions) and derives explicit techniques whereby these mechanisms can be detected in specific systems. These techniques can be viewed as generalizations of Melnikov's method to multi-degree of freedom systems subject to slowly varying parameters and quasiperiodic excitations. A unique feature of the book is that each theorem is illustrated with drawings that enable the reader to build visual pictures of global dynamcis of the systems being described. This approach leads to an enhanced intuitive understanding of the theory.

In the past ten years, there has been much progress in understanding the global dynamics of systems with several degrees-of-freedom. An important tool in these studies has been the theory of normally hyperbolic invariant manifolds and foliations of normally hyperbolic invariant manifolds. In recent years these techniques have been used for the development of global perturbation methods, the study of resonance phenomena in coupled oscillators, geometric singular perturbation theory, and the study of bursting phenomena in biological oscillators. "Invariant manifold theorems" have become standard tools for applied mathematicians, physicists, engineers, and virtually anyone working on nonlinear problems from a geometric viewpoint. In this book, the author gives a self-contained development of these ideas as well as proofs of the main theorems along the lines of the seminal works of Fenichel. In general, the Fenichel theory is very valuable for many applications, but it is not easy for people to get into from existing literature. This book provides an excellent avenue to that. Wiggins also describes a variety of settings where these techniques can be used in applications.

In this monograph the authors present detailed and pedagogic proofs of persistence theorems for normally hyperbolic invariant manifolds and their stable and unstable manifolds for classes of perturbations of the NLS equation, as well as for the existence and persistence of fibrations of these invariant manifolds. Their techniques are based on an infinite dimensional generalisation of the graph transform and can be viewed as an infinite dimensional generalisation of Fenichels results. As such, they may be applied to a broad class of infinite dimensional dynamical systems.

Mixing processes occur in many technological and natural applications, with length and time scales ranging from the very small to the very large. The diversity of problems can give rise to a diversity of approaches. Are there concepts that are central to all of them? Are there tools that allow for prediction and quantification? The authors show how a variety of flows in very different settings possess the characteristic of streamline crossing. This notion can be placed on firm mathematical footing via Linked Twist Maps (LTMs), which is the central organizing principle of this book. The authors discuss the definition and construction of LTMs, provide examples of specific mixers that can be analyzed in the LTM framework and introduce a number of mathematical techniques which are then brought to bear on the problem of fluid mixing. In a final chapter, they present a number of open problems and new directions.

Provides a new and more realistic framework for describing the dynamics of non-linear systems. A number of issues arising in applied dynamical systems from the viewpoint of problems of phase space transport are raised in this monograph. Illustrating phase space transport problems arising in a variety of applications that can be modeled as time-periodic perturbations of planar Hamiltonian systems, the book begins with the study of transport in the associated two-dimensional Poincare Map. This serves as a starting point for the further motivation of the transport issues through the development of ideas in a non-perturbative framework with generalizations to higher dimensions as well as more general time dependence. A timely and important contribution to those concerned with the applications of mathematics.

In many oceanic and atmospheric flows, the collection of trajectories of fluid elements - the Lagrangian motion - is of fundamental importance, determining the transport of fluid properties as well as basic characteristics of the flow itself. In the presence of large-scale, coherent structures, this motion can be analyzed using methods developed originally in the geometric theory of ordinary differential equations. The last two decades have seen the rapid development of this dynamical systems approach to Lagrangian transport for the analysis of engineering and geophysical fluid flows. Geophysical fluid problems presented a new set of mathematical and computational challenges for this approach; in turn, these methods have provided new perspectives on Lagrangian motion in geophysical flows. This is the first introductory textbook to describe this approach in the context of geophysical fluid dynamics. and in parallel, in an accessible style, and will serve both to introduce the necessary mathematical framework to geophysical fluid dynamicists, and to introduce an active area of geophysical fluid research to applied nonlinear dynamicists. The text is suitable for graduate and advanced undergraduate students, and will also serve as a useful reference for researchers and scientists in either field.

This introduction to applied nonlinear dynamics and chaos places emphasis on teaching the techniques and ideas that will enable students to take specific dynamical systems and obtain some quantitative information about their behavior. The new edition has been updated and extended throughout, and contains a detailed glossary of terms.

From the reviews:

"Will serve as one of the most eminent introductions to the geometric theory of dynamical systems." --Monatshefte f r Mathematik

In this monograph the authors present detailed and pedagogic proofs of persistence theorems for normally hyperbolic invariant manifolds and their stable and unstable manifolds for classes of perturbations of the NLS equation, as well as for the existence and persistence of fibrations of these invariant manifolds. Their techniques are based on an infinite dimensional generalisation of the graph transform and can be viewed as an infinite dimensional generalisation of Fenichels results. As such, they may be applied to a broad class of infinite dimensional dynamical systems.

In the past ten years, there has been much progress in understanding the global dynamics of systems with several degrees-of-freedom. An important tool in these studies has been the theory of normally hyperbolic invariant manifolds and foliations of normally hyperbolic invariant manifolds. In recent years these techniques have been used for the development of global perturbation methods, the study of resonance phenomena in coupled oscillators, geometric singular perturbation theory, and the study of bursting phenomena in biological oscillators. "Invariant manifold theorems" have become standard tools for applied mathematicians, physicists, engineers, and virtually anyone working on nonlinear problems from a geometric viewpoint. In this book, the author gives a self-contained development of these ideas as well as proofs of the main theorems along the lines of the seminal works of Fenichel. In general, the Fenichel theory is very valuable for many applications, but it is not easy for people to get into from existing literature. This book provides an excellent avenue to that. Wiggins also describes a variety of settings where these techniques can be used in applications.

Provides a new and more realistic framework for describing the dynamics of non-linear systems. A number of issues arising in applied dynamical systems from the viewpoint of problems of phase space transport are raised in this monograph. Illustrating phase space transport problems arising in a variety of applications that can be modeled as time-periodic perturbations of planar Hamiltonian systems, the book begins with the study of transport in the associated two-dimensional Poincare Map. This serves as a starting point for the further motivation of the transport issues through the development of ideas in a non-perturbative framework with generalizations to higher dimensions as well as more general time dependence. A timely and important contribution to those concerned with the applications of mathematics.

Written jointly by a specialist in geophysical fluid dynamics and an applied mathematician, this is the first accessible introduction to a new set of methods for analysing Lagrangian motion in geophysical flows. The book opens by establishing context and fundamental mathematical concepts and definitions, exploring simple cases of steady flow, and touching on important topics from the classical theory of Hamiltonian systems. Subsequent chapters examine the elements and methods of Lagrangian transport analysis in time-dependent flows. The concluding chapter offers a brief survey of rapidly evolving research in geophysical fluid dynamics that makes use of this new approach.

This introduction to applied nonlinear dynamics and chaos places emphasis on teaching the techniques and ideas that will enable students to take specific dynamical systems and obtain some quantitative information about their behavior. The new edition has been updated and extended throughout, and contains a detailed glossary of terms.

From the reviews:

"Will serve as one of the most eminent introductions to the geometric theory of dynamical systems." --Monatshefte f r Mathematik

Ordinary differential equations is a standard course in the undergraduate mathematics curriculum that usually comes after the first university calculus and linear algebra courses taken by a mathematics major. Such courses may also typically be attended by undergraduates from other areas of physical and social sciences, and engineering. The content of such a course has remained fairly static over time, despite the expansion of the topic into other disciplines as a result of the dynamical systems point of view.This core undergraduate course updated from the dynamical systems perspective can easily be covered in one semester, with room for projects or more advanced topics tailored to the interests of the students.

Ordinary differential equations is a standard course in the undergraduate mathematics curriculum that usually comes after the first university calculus and linear algebra courses taken by a mathematics major. Such courses may also typically be attended by undergraduates from other areas of physical and social sciences, and engineering. The content of such a course has remained fairly static over time, despite the expansion of the topic into other disciplines as a result of the dynamical systems point of view.This core undergraduate course updated from the dynamical systems perspective can easily be covered in one semester, with room for projects or more advanced topics tailored to the interests of the students.

This book develops elementary classical mechanics in a setting that is appropriate for beginning university mathematics students without requiring a background in physics. It is an ideal first look at the subject for those who will go on to study more advanced aspects of the subject, such as Lagrangian, Hamiltonian, and quantum mechanics. These more advanced developments of mechanics are at the forefront of research in modern mathematics. Certainly, topics such as symplectic geometry, Lagrangian intersection theory, spectral theory, pseudodifferential operators, etc. do not require a background in classical mechanics, but studies in these areas are greatly enriched by a knowledge of their roots and how some of their motivational issues arose.

This Problems and Solutions book addresses the numerous problems in the textbook that develops elementary classical mechanics in a setting that is appropriate for beginning university mathematics students without requiring a background in physics. It is an ideal first look at the subject for those who will go on to study more advanced aspects of the subject, such as Lagrangian, Hamiltonian, and quantum mechanics. These more advanced developments of mechanics are at the forefront of research in modern mathematics. Certainly, topics such as symplectic geometry, Lagrangian intersection theory, spectral theory, pseudodifferential operators, etc. do not require a background in classical mechanics, but studies in these areas are greatly enriched by a knowledge of their roots and how some of their motivational issues arose.

This book develops elementary classical mechanics in a setting that is appropriate for beginning university mathematics students without requiring a background in physics. It is an ideal first look at the subject for those who will go on to study more advanced aspects of the subject, such as Lagrangian, Hamiltonian, and quantum mechanics. These more advanced developments of mechanics are at the forefront of research in modern mathematics. Certainly, topics such as symplectic geometry, Lagrangian intersection theory, spectral theory, pseudodifferential operators, etc. do not require a background in classical mechanics, but studies in these areas are greatly enriched by a knowledge of their roots and how some of their motivational issues arose.