Introduction to Modern Dynamics: Chaos, Networks, Space and Time

by David D. Nolte

Overview

The best parts of physics are the last topics that our students ever see. These are the exciting new frontiers of nonlinear and complex systems that are at the forefront of university research and are the basis of many high-tech businesses. Topics such as traffic on the World Wide Web, the spread of epidemics through globally-mobile populations, or the synchronization of global economies are governed by universal principles just as profound as Newton's laws. Nonetheless, the conventional university physics curriculum reserves most of these topics for advanced graduate study. Two justifications are given for this situation: first, that the mathematical tools needed to understand these topics are beyond the skill set of undergraduate students, and second, that these are specialty topics with no common theme and little overlap.

Introduction to Modern Dynamics dispels these myths. The structure of this book combines the three main topics of modern dynamics - chaos theory, dynamics on complex networks, and general relativity - into a coherent framework. By taking a geometric view of physics, concentrating on the time evolution of physical systems as trajectories through abstract spaces, these topics share a common and simple mathematical language through which any student can gain a unified physical intuition. Given the growing importance of complex dynamical systems in many areas of science and technology, this text provides students with an up-to-date foundation for their future careers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199657049
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/01/2015
Edition description:	Older Edition
Pages:	438
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.60(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

David D. Nolte is the Edward M. Purcell Distinguished Professor of Physics at Purdue University, and an internationally recognized researcher in laser photonics. He blogs regularly at http://www.works.bepress.com/ddnolte/.

Table of Contents

Part I: Geometric Mechanics1. Physics and Geometry2. Hamiltonian Dynamics and Phase SpacePart II: Nonlinear Dynamics3. Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos4. Coupled Oscillators and Synchronization5. Network DynamicsPart III: Complex Systems6. Neurodynamics and Neural Networks7. Evolutionary Dynamics8. Economic DynamicsPart IV: Relativity and Space-Time9. Metric Spaces and Geodesic Motion10. Relativistic Dynamics11. The General Theory of Relativity and Gravitation

Editorial Reviews

"Nolte's book is a bold attempt toward updating and energizing the physics curriculum. ... I encourage instructors to give it a look and see if there is a place for it in their teaching." —David Feldman, Physics Today

From the Publisher