Nonlinear differential equations and dynamical systems (Q1187714)

This is a textbook with somewhat special characteristics. Although it is written in an elementary level and the exposition is careful and detailed, thus reaching its objective of being a textbook, at the same it serves as an introduction to research in modern differential equations. It establishes clear notations and definitions, gives detailed proofs and a series of well chosen examples, as well as a collection of good exercises, and this is a major factor in attaining the didactical objective. The style is fluent and the author always makes some remarks, as a sort of motivation for the introduction of new concepts. On the other hand, in the same pleasant and fluent style, current research is presented, discussed and new directions are suggested. Thus the book serves equally well as an introductory research text. In the preface the author justly says that ``to do justice to the theory of differential equations and dynamical systems, one should present both the qualitative and quantitative aspects''. Indeed the book covers both. The table of contents reveal the breadth of the book. After an introduction of 6 pages to fix notations and definitions and to establish Gronwall's inequality, which will serve as a basic result throughout the text, he treats Autonomous equations (20 pages), Critical points (12 pages), Periodic solutions (23 pages). Then he devotes seven chapters to stability and perturbation theory, covering the methods of Lyapunov and Poincaré. This covers almost half of the book. The last four final chapters are devoted to more advanced topics. A short but rich chapter on Relaxation oscillations (6 pages), Bifurcation theory (21 pages), Chaos (14 pages) and Hamiltonian systems (19 pages) pave the way to research. Three short Appendices and Answers and Hints for the exercises, plus a generous set of References make this book an attractive text for a variety of students, including those desiring to pursue research in this field.