Geodesic deviation equation approach to chaos (Q1817747)

A local criterion of chaos can be based on the observation that Euler-Lagrange equations of motion can be rewritten as geodesic equation with respect to the Jacobi metric. The local tendency of geodesics to converge or to diverge may become a criterion discriminating between the ordered and irregular (chaotic) motion. This geometric criterion for local instability of the relative motion of geodesics is, however, insufficient to describe adequately the chaotic behaviour of generic dynamical systems of Anosov type.