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Studies in Nonlinearity
Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos with Student Solutions Manual: With Applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering
This textbook is aimed at newcomers to nonlinear dynamics and chaos, especially students taking a first course in the subject. The presentation stresses analytical methods, concrete examples, and geometric intuition. The theory is developed systematically, starting with first-order differential equations and their bifurcations, followed by phase plane analysis, limit cycles and their bifurcations, and culminating with the Lorenz equations, chaos, iterated maps, period doubling, renormalization, fractals, and strange attractors.
935 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1994
216 people are currently reading
4802 people want to read
About the author
Steven H. Strogatz
16 books1,022 followersSteven Strogatz is the Schurman Professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University. A renowned teacher and one of the world’s most highly cited mathematicians, he has been a frequent guest on National Public Radio’s Radiolab. Among his honors are MIT's highest teaching prize, membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a lifetime achievement award for communication of math to the general public, awarded by the four major American mathematical societies. He also wrote a popular New York Times online column, “The Elements of Math,” which formed the basis for his new book, The Joy of x. He lives in Ithaca, New York with his wife and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
November 26, 2015
I skimmed this book while watching the author's corresponding lecture series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list....
October 10, 2022
Strogatz is not an unfamiliar author on my shelves this year. To his credit, often he assists in the coupling and relation of science to a genre defying what is common about physics today. In the natural world, we can discern linear from non linear and observe what is or what just pops in “ex nihilo.” Assumption when the student reads this text assumes one has a firm grasp and measure of elementary physics (differential equations). Exercises are fun---do not attempt if E = mc2 suggests a mammal commonly found in the zoo. A tutor may be useful when dissecting this text.
"Higher order methods require more calculations and function evaluations, so there's a computational cost associated with them...balance."
---Steven H. Strogatz
Its not often one may find a book on mathematics to be entertaining, yet Strogatz somehow accomplishes this rather effortlessly with his dynamic regurgitation on autonomous flows with respect to dimensions and how the bastardly actions of bifurcations made (consistent with the ephemeral and gaseous entities) in the realm of "beyond." Though its beguiling (at distance) dancing with the Poincaré-Bendixon theorems, chaotic maps and funky fractals twirling into oblivion as Halley's Comet passes by, the motion, numbers and behavior delineate truth. Challenging.
"Higher order methods require more calculations and function evaluations, so there's a computational cost associated with them...balance."
---Steven H. Strogatz
Its not often one may find a book on mathematics to be entertaining, yet Strogatz somehow accomplishes this rather effortlessly with his dynamic regurgitation on autonomous flows with respect to dimensions and how the bastardly actions of bifurcations made (consistent with the ephemeral and gaseous entities) in the realm of "beyond." Though its beguiling (at distance) dancing with the Poincaré-Bendixon theorems, chaotic maps and funky fractals twirling into oblivion as Halley's Comet passes by, the motion, numbers and behavior delineate truth. Challenging.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2016
I found this to be an excellent introduction to the subject, with clear explanations and extremely good organisation of the material. Examples build on each other in a logical fashion and make the pure mathematics concrete by using genuine scientific applications. The subject itself is fascinating and surprisingly mathematically tractable. The early chapters could be handled by anyone with A-level mathematics. Infrequent references to esoteric subjects like point-set topology are made for the sake of rigour but in fact can be totally ignored without loss of practical understanding of the techniques. Those needing more advanced material in any particular area will find adequate references.
Great stuff!
Great stuff!
December 17, 2015
I'm just starting the book, but I already know this is a ★★★★★. This book is a window to Nature. The ratio between deepness and accessibility is amazing, thanks to the well written and clear texts and, specially, the smart and beautiful geometric explanations and qualitative solutions.
June 30, 2009
This introduction to nonlinear dynamics is easy and entertaining to read. Those are qualities sorely missing from most math books out there. I recommend it to anyone -- undergraduate, graduate, or beyond -- who needs an excellent, beautifully clear introduction to nonlinear dynamics.
January 8, 2009
Fixed points, their equilibrium, bifurcation parameters, non-dimensionalization, linearization, romeo and juliet
July 22, 2025
Extraordinarily lucid exposition of an extraordinarily difficult subject
My review of the first edition of Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos follows. Everything I say there applies to the second edition as well. Aside from minor corrections, the second edition differs from the first mainly in the addition of new exercises. Strogatz writes in the Preface
Review of the First edition
Nonlinear Dynamics is one of the most difficult areas of Applied Mathematics, but you would hardly guess that from reading Steven H. Strogatz. You can read Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering like a (very expensive -- but your university library surely has a copy) novel: start at the beginning, and read one page after another until you get to the end. It starts out simple and builds -- read in order, it all makes sense -- especially if you do the exercises. (Now, be clear: this is a math book. If math is not your thing, you're not likely to enjoy it.) Few mathematics books, even those about far more tractable subjects, are this readable.
What is "nonlinear dynamics"? "Dynamics" means, roughly, things that change with time. For instance, a car driving from your home to the university library is a dynamic system, and so is a field full of crops that are planted and grow, and so is a disease spreading through a population. This is obviously a big and important subject, and mathematicians have spent much effort on it over the years. They have had most success with linear dynamic systems.
I'm not going to give a technical definition of "linear" -- if you're a mathematician you already know -- but in practice it means you can solve a complicated linear problem by breaking it down into simple subproblems whose solutions are known, then combining those simple solutions to produce the solution of the complicated thing. It is the "combining" that linearity makes simple. Linear dynamics is boring (1) because it is mostly a solved problem, and (2) because certain really cool things can never happen in a linear system. For instance, you can have an explosion in a linear system, but there is no way for the explosion to end. If you want to describe a world in which explosions happen, and then stop, and then happen again, you need nonlinearity.
Almost nothing in The Real World™ is truly linear. However, many, many things in The Real World™ are approximately linear. (This is, more or less, what calculus is all about.) Thus linear dynamics allows us to describe all sort of things just up to the point where they get Really Interesting And Difficult. Strogatz is here to tell you about the "Really Interesting" stuff.
One thing I like about Strogatz's style is that he works hard to make things clear. There are lots of pictures. Also, he is free of the Pointless Purity fetish that afflicts so many mathematicians. He says, in so many words
This is the best introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics in existence. If you have any interest in the subject, you should read it. Even if you think you have no interest in the subject, it's worth a look -- you might discover a new love.
Blog review.
My review of the first edition of Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos follows. Everything I say there applies to the second edition as well. Aside from minor corrections, the second edition differs from the first mainly in the addition of new exercises. Strogatz writes in the Preface
In the twenty years since this book first appeared, the ideas and techniques of nonlinear dynamics and chaos have found application in such exciting new fields as systems biology, evolutionary game theory, and sociophysics. To give you a taste of these recent developments, I’ve added about twenty substantial new exercises that I hope will entice you to learn more.
Review of the First edition
Nonlinear Dynamics is one of the most difficult areas of Applied Mathematics, but you would hardly guess that from reading Steven H. Strogatz. You can read Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering like a (very expensive -- but your university library surely has a copy) novel: start at the beginning, and read one page after another until you get to the end. It starts out simple and builds -- read in order, it all makes sense -- especially if you do the exercises. (Now, be clear: this is a math book. If math is not your thing, you're not likely to enjoy it.) Few mathematics books, even those about far more tractable subjects, are this readable.
What is "nonlinear dynamics"? "Dynamics" means, roughly, things that change with time. For instance, a car driving from your home to the university library is a dynamic system, and so is a field full of crops that are planted and grow, and so is a disease spreading through a population. This is obviously a big and important subject, and mathematicians have spent much effort on it over the years. They have had most success with linear dynamic systems.
I'm not going to give a technical definition of "linear" -- if you're a mathematician you already know -- but in practice it means you can solve a complicated linear problem by breaking it down into simple subproblems whose solutions are known, then combining those simple solutions to produce the solution of the complicated thing. It is the "combining" that linearity makes simple. Linear dynamics is boring (1) because it is mostly a solved problem, and (2) because certain really cool things can never happen in a linear system. For instance, you can have an explosion in a linear system, but there is no way for the explosion to end. If you want to describe a world in which explosions happen, and then stop, and then happen again, you need nonlinearity.
Almost nothing in The Real World™ is truly linear. However, many, many things in The Real World™ are approximately linear. (This is, more or less, what calculus is all about.) Thus linear dynamics allows us to describe all sort of things just up to the point where they get Really Interesting And Difficult. Strogatz is here to tell you about the "Really Interesting" stuff.
One thing I like about Strogatz's style is that he works hard to make things clear. There are lots of pictures. Also, he is free of the Pointless Purity fetish that afflicts so many mathematicians. He says, in so many words
Throughout this chapter we have used graphical and analytical methods to analyze first-order systems. Every budding dynamicist should master a third tool: numerical methods.That is, you are allowed, indeed encouraged, to use a computer! You can never (well seldom) rigorously prove anything with numerical methods, and since proofs are what mathematics is all about, some mathematicians scorn numerical methods. Now, Strogatz is a mathematician. He knows what rigor is and employs it when it's the best way to an answer. But proofs in nonlinear dynamics are difficult, numerical methods are comparatively easy, and he uses both.
This is the best introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics in existence. If you have any interest in the subject, you should read it. Even if you think you have no interest in the subject, it's worth a look -- you might discover a new love.
Blog review.
July 22, 2025
Extraordinarily lucid exposition of an extraordinarily difficult subject
Nonlinear Dynamics is one of the most difficult areas of Applied Mathematics, but you would hardly guess that from reading Steven H. Strogatz. You can read Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering like a (very expensive -- but your university library surely has a copy) novel: start at the beginning, and read one page after another until you get to the end. It starts out simple and builds -- read in order, it all makes sense -- especially if you do the exercises. (Now, be clear: this is a math book. If math is not your thing, you're not likely to enjoy it.) Few mathematics books, even those about far more tractable subjects, are this readable.
What is "nonlinear dynamics"? "Dynamics" means, roughly, things that change with time. For instance, a car driving from your home to the university library is a dynamic system, and so is a field full of crops that are planted and grow, and so is a disease spreading through a population. This is obviously a big and important subject, and mathematicians have spent much effort on it over the years. They have had most success with linear dynamic systems.
I'm not going to give a technical definition of "linear" -- if you're a mathematician you already know -- but in practice it means you can solve a complicated linear problem by breaking it down into simple subproblems whose solutions are known, then combining those simple solutions to produce the solution of the complicated thing. It is the "combining" that linearity makes simple. Linear dynamics is boring (1) because it is mostly a solved problem, and (2) because certain really cool things can never happen in a linear system. For instance, you can have an explosion in a linear system, but there is no way for the explosion to end. If you want to describe a world in which explosions happen, and then stop, and then happen again, you need nonlinearity.
Almost nothing in The Real World™ is truly linear. However, many, many things in The Real World™ are approximately linear. (This is, more or less, what calculus is all about.) Thus linear dynamics allows us to describe all sort of things just up to the point where they get Really Interesting And Difficult. Strogatz is here to tell you about the "Really Interesting" stuff.
One thing I like about Strogatz's style is that he works hard to make things clear. There are lots of pictures. Also, he is free of the Pointless Purity fetish that afflicts so many mathematicians. He says, in so many words
This is the best introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics in existence. If you have any interest in the subject, you should read it. Even if you think you have no interest in the subject, it's worth a look -- you might discover a new love.
Blog review.
Nonlinear Dynamics is one of the most difficult areas of Applied Mathematics, but you would hardly guess that from reading Steven H. Strogatz. You can read Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering like a (very expensive -- but your university library surely has a copy) novel: start at the beginning, and read one page after another until you get to the end. It starts out simple and builds -- read in order, it all makes sense -- especially if you do the exercises. (Now, be clear: this is a math book. If math is not your thing, you're not likely to enjoy it.) Few mathematics books, even those about far more tractable subjects, are this readable.
What is "nonlinear dynamics"? "Dynamics" means, roughly, things that change with time. For instance, a car driving from your home to the university library is a dynamic system, and so is a field full of crops that are planted and grow, and so is a disease spreading through a population. This is obviously a big and important subject, and mathematicians have spent much effort on it over the years. They have had most success with linear dynamic systems.
I'm not going to give a technical definition of "linear" -- if you're a mathematician you already know -- but in practice it means you can solve a complicated linear problem by breaking it down into simple subproblems whose solutions are known, then combining those simple solutions to produce the solution of the complicated thing. It is the "combining" that linearity makes simple. Linear dynamics is boring (1) because it is mostly a solved problem, and (2) because certain really cool things can never happen in a linear system. For instance, you can have an explosion in a linear system, but there is no way for the explosion to end. If you want to describe a world in which explosions happen, and then stop, and then happen again, you need nonlinearity.
Almost nothing in The Real World™ is truly linear. However, many, many things in The Real World™ are approximately linear. (This is, more or less, what calculus is all about.) Thus linear dynamics allows us to describe all sort of things just up to the point where they get Really Interesting And Difficult. Strogatz is here to tell you about the "Really Interesting" stuff.
One thing I like about Strogatz's style is that he works hard to make things clear. There are lots of pictures. Also, he is free of the Pointless Purity fetish that afflicts so many mathematicians. He says, in so many words
Throughout this chapter we have used graphical and analytical methods to analyze first-order systems. Every budding dynamicist should master a third tool: numerical methods.That is, you are allowed, indeed encouraged, to use a computer! You can never (well seldom) rigorously prove anything with numerical methods, and since proofs are what mathematics is all about, some mathematicians scorn numerical methods. Now, Strogatz is a mathematician. He knows what rigor is and employs it when it's the best way to an answer. But proofs in nonlinear dynamics are difficult, numerical methods are comparatively easy, and he uses both.
This is the best introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics in existence. If you have any interest in the subject, you should read it. Even if you think you have no interest in the subject, it's worth a look -- you might discover a new love.
Blog review.
April 4, 2019
Excellent introductory book on nonlinear dynamics. It's pedagogical, practical and very entertaining, albeit the topics are quite abstract. Strogatz finds effective ways to convey unfamiliar concepts such as limit cycle, bifurcation, strange atractor, Cantor set, to a broad range of educated readers. Many real-world examples in Physics, Biology illustrate the concepts as well as keep readers intrigued.
The book is self-contained and requires only some familiarity with one- and multi-variable calculus. Since the topics are abstract in nature, it requires a great deal of visualization, both on the pages and in the reader's head. So it's accessible to anyone who are interested in or working on complex systems in Physics, Biology, Engineering and even Sociology.
The most attractive feature of the book is its intuitive and practical approach which focuses entirely on helping readers to develop intuition and basic techniques so that they can apply to their problems, and trims down the pedantic math details. The author softens the solemn development of concepts, usually found in hard-core math books, with insights, anecdotes and humors.
The writing is excellent: Many illustrations, carefully chosen examples and instructive structure. This is the most engaging and fun to read that I've known.
The book is self-contained and requires only some familiarity with one- and multi-variable calculus. Since the topics are abstract in nature, it requires a great deal of visualization, both on the pages and in the reader's head. So it's accessible to anyone who are interested in or working on complex systems in Physics, Biology, Engineering and even Sociology.
The most attractive feature of the book is its intuitive and practical approach which focuses entirely on helping readers to develop intuition and basic techniques so that they can apply to their problems, and trims down the pedantic math details. The author softens the solemn development of concepts, usually found in hard-core math books, with insights, anecdotes and humors.
The writing is excellent: Many illustrations, carefully chosen examples and instructive structure. This is the most engaging and fun to read that I've known.
April 5, 2016
Excellent introductory text on nonlinear dynamics and chaos, with great examples and exercises covering various fields. It is advised though to read certain examples selectively (e.g. if you are not interested in Josephson junction, then skip it since it is somewhat distracting). But otherwise the narration and content are splendid.
It is written in not so rigorous and technical sense - thus more advanced supplement is needed for more advanced purposes. It is also highly advisable to complement this text with a proper ODE textbook, which covers the methods from linear stability to chaos properly (e.g. ODE text by Boyce).
It has some really great intuition and way of seeing things (e.g. formulating phase space of pendulum as cylinder instead of infinitely many fixed point system), so it helps.
It is written in not so rigorous and technical sense - thus more advanced supplement is needed for more advanced purposes. It is also highly advisable to complement this text with a proper ODE textbook, which covers the methods from linear stability to chaos properly (e.g. ODE text by Boyce).
It has some really great intuition and way of seeing things (e.g. formulating phase space of pendulum as cylinder instead of infinitely many fixed point system), so it helps.
September 28, 2021
Advanced subjects are fascinating. But not everyone is capable of grasping the technical description. For the most part, you have two choices: the technical literature (for which you need to take courses after courses just to understand the lingo) or watered down descriptions for the mass. The problem with the latter is that they are often too watered down. In other words, books almost always fall to two extremes: those with 0 equations, and those with 25 per page.
This book from Strogatz is a rare gem that is deep(er) without being pedantic; lucid without being verbose. Mathematical rigor is omitted often, but judiciously and with clear indications. So you get a very clear idea of the subject (in this case, dynamical systems and chaos) and a very clear understanding and where and how your understanding is approximate. You are not left with tired analogies that “scratch from outside the boot”.
In terms of content, Strogatz shows you dynamical systems (those systems described by differential or difference equations) in 3 parts: 4 chapters each on the simple 1-dimensional systems, the somewhat more complex 2-dimensional systems (where oscillation starts to be possible), and the highly interesting case of 3 or more dimensions where chaos can happen. If you’ve read James Gleick’s book “Chaos”, then Strogatz’s book can give you a much more satisfying exposition of the technical aspect of chaos, universality, and fractals.
This book from Strogatz is a rare gem that is deep(er) without being pedantic; lucid without being verbose. Mathematical rigor is omitted often, but judiciously and with clear indications. So you get a very clear idea of the subject (in this case, dynamical systems and chaos) and a very clear understanding and where and how your understanding is approximate. You are not left with tired analogies that “scratch from outside the boot”.
In terms of content, Strogatz shows you dynamical systems (those systems described by differential or difference equations) in 3 parts: 4 chapters each on the simple 1-dimensional systems, the somewhat more complex 2-dimensional systems (where oscillation starts to be possible), and the highly interesting case of 3 or more dimensions where chaos can happen. If you’ve read James Gleick’s book “Chaos”, then Strogatz’s book can give you a much more satisfying exposition of the technical aspect of chaos, universality, and fractals.
May 2, 2025
skipped chapters 10-12 due to time constraints but overall enjoyed the textbook and learned a lot. strogatz really makes an effort to make the material accessible to undergrads and has clear yet concise explanations. one can also choose the level of depth and difficulty they wish to achieve in the subject, and the book can cater to a wide range. i also appreciated that some examples and questions were applicable to real work that has been done with this field. fascinating and thought provoking stuff!
also got an A in the course😛
also got an A in the course😛
September 3, 2025
Hell yeah. I've been bouncing around some research ideas in my head for a couple years now, and reading this felt like a real "now we're cooking with gas" moment, back-filling some of the more amorphous ideas with structure. Who knows if it'll become anything, but I still enjoyed this a lot. I watched the 2014 lecture recordings in between reading sessions, and it reminded me just how much I love being in a really good class. I think the logistic map and Feigenbaum's renormalization theory is about as cool as anything math has ever produced. And when the folds in Hénon's attractor collapsed onto a Cantor set? Pure child-like wonder, this shit rules.
December 31, 2021
For a textbook about a fairly arcane mathematical subject matter...this was surprisingly fun to read! I think Strogatz could have spent more time going over intermediary parts of equations, as he skips a lot of steps, which left me confused at points. Plus, this is a challenging subjecte, no matter how you look at it. That being said, this has totally changed how I see the universe, and I can't say that about that many books.
July 6, 2022
Fantastisk god og lettfattelig fysikkbok med fokus på anvendelse fremfor bevis. Jeg likte særlig eksemplene fra Romeo og Juliet, og delen om kaosteori og logistic map er sånt man kan fortelle om på fest! Strogatz har også lagt ut noen gode forelesninger fra kurset sitt på YouTube, som et komplement til boka.
January 12, 2023
The book is okay, but the course I used it in ruined it for me.
December 16, 2024
Best textbook I’ve ever read
April 6, 2017
Strogatz delivers a readable and comprehensible introduction to nonlinear systems and chaos. He prefers intuitive explanations and examples to rigorous mathematical proofs (though he always indicates where one could find more detailed analysis).
Want to read
July 11, 2024slowly preparing for hofstadter...
April 17, 2008
This is the book for nonlinear dynamics. Strogatz's writing is not only easy to follow, but is also pleasant, conversational, and at times even a bit whimsical. The book opens with very simple material, and while it eventually touches on some fairly advanced ideas (eg renormalization), it builds up to that point very carefully, so the student should never feel overwhelmed. The examples and problems are drawn from a wide range of fields, so students from disciplines besides math and physics should see some connection to their own interests.
Some people criticize the book's scope, claiming that it is too limited, but specialized topics such as pattern formation and network dynamics are better reserved for a more advanced course.
An excellent complement to the book is the set of lecture notes written by Michael Cross and available on his website: Chaos on the Web.
Some people criticize the book's scope, claiming that it is too limited, but specialized topics such as pattern formation and network dynamics are better reserved for a more advanced course.
An excellent complement to the book is the set of lecture notes written by Michael Cross and available on his website: Chaos on the Web.
January 11, 2011
Excellent mathematical introduction to the dynamics of non-linear systems. The text style is rather informal, and very clear, and many of the concepts and results presented are exposed in an intuitive way. Beginning from uni-dimensional systems and reaching to chaos and strange attractors, there's that typical progressive crescendo in complexity which makes the reading worth and sticking. The book also contains a lot of examples taken from several disciplines (physics, chemistry, population dynamics, biology, and so on) and many exercises at the end of chapters.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
Read
May 10, 2011Dang... Promised myself I wouldn't crack this open until classes were over but couldn't resist. Where will the gateway drug to nonlinear dynamics and chaos lead me? Selling sexual favors and stolen TVs for Lyapunov exponents?
June 20, 2012
Worst textbook ever
January 13, 2015
Top quality book. Accessible but powerful. Excellent examples to demonstrate the concepts. Even useful as a course textbook.
April 1, 2021
Книгата е много basic, а очаквах да е манджа с грозде и неразбираеми, напоителни математически обяснения. Та още преди да дойде, вече предчувствах как я подарявам на моята (защото хвърлянето или складирането на безполезни книги е престъпление). Но всъщност книгата е доста разговорна, висшата математика е на разбираемо ниво, споменава набързо разни теореми (Поанкаре-Бенедиксон и как орбитите се "затварят" под три измерения), има и много практически упражнения и схематични ил��страции.
В пета глава авторът решава модел на обичта (взаимната предпазливост удря на камък, а прекалената "смелост" и на двамата стига или до много взаимна обич, или до силен хейт :D), а в шеста показва що конкуренцията между зайците и овцете е обречена кауза и леката преднина в началните условия води до монополи (феновете на пазарните утопии не го разбират това, но впрочем още Маркс го описва). В последната част на книгата дава готварски съвети и обсъжда дивергентността на подправките в месенето на питки и т.н.
Бях карал курс по тия нелинейни неща, но пак научих нещо ново!
В пета глава авторът решава модел на обичта (взаимната предпазливост удря на камък, а прекалената "смелост" и на двамата стига или до много взаимна обич, или до силен хейт :D), а в шеста показва що конкуренцията между зайците и овцете е обречена кауза и леката преднина в началните условия води до монополи (феновете на пазарните утопии не го разбират това, но впрочем още Маркс го описва). В последната част на книгата дава готварски съвети и обсъжда дивергентността на подправките в месенето на питки и т.н.
Бях карал курс по тия нелинейни неща, но пак научих нещо ново!
June 25, 2019
Background: I'm an aerospace engineering undergraduate who has been exposed to chaos in differential equations, fluid turbulence, and dynamic meteorology. However, my studies never went into the theory of chaos, as this is more of a math topic than an engineering one. I thought it would be beneficial to read this book so I would have a more complete understanding of chaos.
Reaction: I was very satisfied with this book. Strogatz isn't like your usual author of a math textbook. He isn't trying to overwhelm you with theory and proof, rather he introduces the basic concepts and moves quickly onto applications. This type of teaching style is great. If you are in any way looking for a technical book on chaos, this is a great choice.
Side Note: I also found myself watching some of Strogatz's lectures online while reading the book. For those that are interested, you can find them here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
Reaction: I was very satisfied with this book. Strogatz isn't like your usual author of a math textbook. He isn't trying to overwhelm you with theory and proof, rather he introduces the basic concepts and moves quickly onto applications. This type of teaching style is great. If you are in any way looking for a technical book on chaos, this is a great choice.
Side Note: I also found myself watching some of Strogatz's lectures online while reading the book. For those that are interested, you can find them here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
May 23, 2020
3.5 ⭐ | Eine meiner Vorlesungen basierte auf dem Buch mit dem Unterschied, dass bei mir die eher mathematischeren Kapitel ausgelassen wurden. Es ist wirklich leicht verständlich und umgangssprachlich gehalten. Das Buch besteht beinahe ausschließlich aus Beispielen an denen die Herangehensweisen mit ähnlichen Problemen erklärt werden. Daraus kann man sich allgemeine Lösungswege herausarbeiten, aber das ist dem Leser vorbehalten.
Wer sich eher für das chaotische Verhalten von Systemen interessiert, der sollte dies als Einstieg in die Thematik betrachten. Und selbst dieser Einstieg ist eher schwach. Da ist das ChaosBook die weitaus bessere Anlaufstelle (und auch weitaus mathematischer).
Wer sich eher für das chaotische Verhalten von Systemen interessiert, der sollte dies als Einstieg in die Thematik betrachten. Und selbst dieser Einstieg ist eher schwach. Da ist das ChaosBook die weitaus bessere Anlaufstelle (und auch weitaus mathematischer).
July 24, 2018
This is the definitive textbook about nonlinear dynamics, chaos, and complexity sciences. Be forewarned, there’s math - but math is the language of science and everything here is essential and approachable. Not only is this a great introduction, it also makes a solid reference work for later use. Professor Strogatz also has a free companion YouTube series that follows along with the book. Highly recommended.
May 26, 2022
This is one of the rarest of textbooks: one where the author really cares about the reader and their learning experience. I deeply appreciated how the author strove to present the material in ways that helped me as a student build an intuition of what was going on, and only used proofs and more formal logic when it was helpful and appropriate. Definitely an excellent overview of the space and a reference I'm sure I will be coming back to for many years.
April 17, 2018
This is kind of a lie, since we didn't go through the ENTIRE book, but we did cover the first two parts and a bit of the third. I feel like with a better teacher I could have both enjoyed it and learned something from it. I guess we'll never know, now. So long, Strogatz.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews