<p>This well-known booklet, now in its third, expanded edition, provides an informal survey of applications of singularity theory in a wide range of areas. Although the first few chapters touch briefly (and critically) on the Thom-Zeeman catastrophe theory, most of the book is concerned with more recent and less controversial aspects, covering such topics as: bifurcations and stability loss, wavefront propagation, the distribution of matter in the universe, optimization and control problems, visible contours, bypassing an obstacle, symplectic and contact geometry, complex singularities, and the surprising connections between singularities and widely disparate mathematical objects such as regular polyhedra and reflection groups. Readers familiar with the previous editions will find much that is new. Results have been brought up to date, and among the new or expanded topics discussed are delayed loss of stability, cascades of period doublings and triplings, shock waves, implicit differential equations and folded singularities, interior scattering, and more. Three new sections give an overview of the history of singularity theory and its applications from Leonardo da Vinci to modern times, a discussion of perestroika in terms of the theory of metamorphoses, and a list of 93 problems touching on most of the subject matter in the book. The text is enhanced by fifteen new drawings (there are now 87 in all) and improvements to old ones. The already extensive literature list has been updated and expanded. As a result, the book has been enlarged by almost a third. Arnol'd's goal with this edition remains the same: to explain the essence of the results and applications to readers having a minimal mathematical background. All that he asks, is that the reader have an inquiring mind.</p>

Catastrophe theory

Science & Math

Arnolʹd, V. I

Mathematics

Springer, Verlag

Singularity theory is growing very fast and many new results have been discovered since the Russian edition appeared: for instance the relation of the icosahedron to the problem of by­ passing a generic obstacle. The reader can find more details about this in the articles "Singularities of ray systems" and "Singularities in the calculus of variations" listed in the bi­ bliography of the present edition. Moscow, September 1983 v. I. Arnold Preface to the Russian Edition "Experts discuss forecasting disasters" said a New York Times report on catastrophe theory in November 1977. The London Times declared Catastrophe Theory to be the "main intellectual movement of the century" while an article on catastrophe theory in Science was headed "The emperor has no clothes". This booklet explains what catastrophe theory is about and why it arouses such controversy. It also contains non-con­ troversial results from the mathematical theories of singulari­ ties and bifurcation. The author has tried to explain the essence of the fundamen­ tal results and applications to readers having minimal mathe­ matical background but the reader is assumed to have an in­ quiring mind. Moscow 1981 v. I. Arnold Contents Chapter 1. Singularities, Bifurcations, and Catastrophe Theories ............... 1 Chapter 2. Whitney's Singularity Theory ... 3 Chapter 3. Applications of Whitney's Theory 7 Chapter 4. A Catastrophe Machine ...... 10 Chapter 5. Bifurcations of Equilibrium States 14 Chapter 6. Loss of Stability of Equilibrium and the Generation of Auto-Oscillations . . . . . . 20 .

Since the first edition of this book, geometrical methods in the theory of ordinary differential equations have become very popular and some progress has been made partly with the help of computers. Much of this progress is represented in this revised, expanded edition, including such topics as the Feigenbaum universality of period doubling, the Zoladec solution, the Iljashenko proof, the Ecalle and Voronin theory, the Varchenko and Hovanski theorems, and the Neistadt theory. In the selection of material for this book, the author explains basic ideas and methods applicable to the study of differential equations. Special efforts were made to keep the basic ideas free from excessive technicalities. Thus the most fundamental questions are considered in great detail, while of the more special and difficult parts of the theory have the character of a survey. Consequently, the reader needs only a general mathematical knowledge to easily follow this text. It is directed to mathematicians, as well as all users of the theory of differential equations.

Geometrical methods in the theory of ordinary differential equations (Grundlehren der mathematischen Wissenschaften)

Mathematical Methods of Classical Mechanics (Graduate texts in mathematics)

<p>This book constructs the mathematical apparatus of classical mechanics from the beginning, examining basic problems in dynamics like the theory of oscillations and the Hamiltonian formalism. The author emphasizes geometrical considerations and includes phase spaces and flows, vector fields, and Lie groups. Discussion includes qualitative methods of the theory of dynamical systems and of asymptotic methods like averaging and adiabatic invariance.</p>

Mathematical Methods of Classical Mechanics (Graduate Texts in Mathematics)

Springer

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Books by Arnolʹd, V. I

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Arnolʹd, V. I. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Catastrophe theory

Catastrophe theory

Geometrical methods in the theory of ordinary differential equations (Grundlehren der mathematischen Wissenschaften)

Mathematical Methods of Classical Mechanics (Graduate Texts in Mathematics)