MATH401-12S1 (C)
Dynamical Systems 1
This is a semester one course.
Course Information
Dynamical systems is a rapidly developing branch of Mathematics with growing applications in diverse fields from traditional areas of applied mathematics to numerical analysis, biological systems, economic models and medicine.
It is often difficult or impossible to write down an exact solution to systems of nonlinear equations. The emphasis in this course will be on qualitative techniques for classifying the behaviour of nonlinear systems, without necessarily solving them exactly. Both main types of dynamical system will be studied: discrete systems, consisting of an iterated map; and continuous systems, consisting of nonlinear differential equations. Topics covered will include: chaotic behaviour of simple 1D maps; period-doubling bifurcations; phase portrait analysis; methods for determining stability of fixed points and limit cycles; centre manifolds; and symbolic dynamics.
Enquiries
Dr Michael Plank
Room 614 Erskine Building
Phone Extension 4867
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