No label defined (Q4550340)

This paper presents a geometrically oriented and pragmatic overview of some numerical algorithms for the analysis of dynamical systems and their bifurcations. The object of study are systems of nonrandom ordinary differential equations \(\dot{x}=f(x) \in \mathbb{R}^n\) and their flows. As we know, the two limits of discretizing these equations with finer and finer resolution in time and letting the integration time tend to infinity do not commute in general. The author discusses this issue and related ones without giving detailed proofs. A few well-known examples such as the harmonic oscillator, the translated Van der Pol oscillator, the Takens-Bogdanov and Lorenz systems are exhibited as benchmark problems. The main focus is put on the computation of invariant sets and bifurcations. The paper is supplemented with an extensive reference list. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0982.37002].