Introduction to Nonlinear Physics

This textbook provides an introduction to the science of nonlinear physics for advanced undergraduates, beginning graduate students and researchers entering the field. Nonlinear science developed out of the increasing ability to investigate and analyze systems for which effects are not simply linear functions of their causes. It is associated with words such as chaos, fractals, pattern formation, solitons, cellular aotomata and complex systems. Nonlinear phenomena are important in many fields, including dynamical systems, fluid dynamics, materials science, statistical physics and particle physics. The general principles in this text are applicable to fields in the natural and social sciences. The book should therefore be of interest not only to physicists, but also to engineers, chemists, geologists, biologists, economists and others interested in nonlinear phenomena. Examples and exercises provide a guide to research in the field.