Nonlinear Physics for Beginners

Most systems found in nature behave nonlinearly. In such systems the superposition principle no longer holds, so the output does not scale in step with the input, and the combined effect exceeds the simple sum of the individual pieces. The book is organized into three parts that introduce the fundamentals of nonlinear science and show how they apply to physics. Part I surveys fractals, chaos, solitons, pattern formation, cellular automata, and complex systems. Part II reprints 14 reviews and essays written by leading figures in the field, along with 10 research articles. Part III presents 17 student projects, each including computer algorithms for building simulation models.

The text suits independent study, a one-semester course, or a companion volume for courses on linear or nonlinear systems. It assumes familiarity with introductory college physics and calculus, and it requires no prior programming experience.