Nonlinear Waves, Solitons and Chaos

The second edition of a highly successful book on nonlinear waves, solitons and chaos.

Eryk Infeld (Author), George Rowlands (Author)

9780521635578, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 13 July 2000

412 pages, 99 b/w illus. 55 exercises
24.8 x 17.6 x 2.3 cm, 0.915 kg

' … an important contribution to the study of nonlinear waves …' Math. Rev.

This revised and updated second edition of a highly successful book is the only text at this level to embrace a universal approach to three major developments in classical physics; namely nonlinear waves, solitons and chaos. The authors now include new material on biology and laser theory, and go on to discuss important recent developments such as soliton metamorphosis. A comprehensive treatment of basic plasma and fluid configurations and instabilities is followed by a study of the relevant nonlinear structures. Each chapter concludes with a set of problems. This text will be particularly valuable for students taking courses in nonlinear aspects of physics. In general, it will be of value to final year undergraduates and beginning graduate students studying fluid dynamics, plasma physics and applied mathematics.

1. Introduction
2. Linear waves and instabilities in infinite media
3. Convective and non-convective instabilities
group velocity in unstable media
4. A first look at surface waves and instabilities
5. Model equations for small amplitude waves and solitons
weakly nonlinear theory
6. Exact methods for fully nonlinear waves and solitons
7. Cartesian solitons in one and two space dimensions
8. Evolution and stability of initially one-dimensional waves and solitons
9. Cylindrical and spherical solitons in plasmas and other media
10. Soliton metamorphosis
11. Non-coherent phenonemena
Appendices
References.

Subject Areas: Fluid mechanics [PHDF], Nonlinear science [PBWR]