This course will be the first semester of a graduate level introduction to differential equations and dynamical systems with emphasis on qualitative, geometrical methods for nonlinear systems. It will be followed in the spring by Math 8502 -- Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems II, which will explore further topics.
Understanding the modern theory of dynamical systems requires a lot of ideas from many parts of mathematics. I hope to cover both the theory itself and these background ideas in a way which can be understood not only by math graduate students but by any mathematically inclined student with a solid knowledge of linear algebra, advanced calculus and elementary differential equations.
Here are some of the topics I would like to cover in the first semester: basic existence and uniqueness theory for ODE's, linear systems, flows and flow boxes, invariant sets, flows on manifolds, alpha and omega limit sets, flows in the plane, Poincare-Bendixson theory, index theory, Poincare maps, variational equations, dynamics near equilibria including the stable manifold theorem. In addition a good deal of time will be spent on interesting examples.
| "Dynamical Systems: Stability, Symbolic Dynamics and Chaos", by Clark Robinson |
| "Ordinary Differential Equations with Applications", by C. Chicone |
| "Ordinary Differential Equations", by V.I. Arnold |
| "Lectures on Ordinary Differential Equations", by W. Hurewicz |
| "Ordinary Differential Equations", by Jack Hale |
| "Differential Equations, Geometric Theory", by S. Lefschetz |
| "Ordinary Differential Equations", by Philip Hartman |
| "Theory of Ordinary Differential Equations", by E. Coddington and N. Levinson |
Based on several homework assignments throughout the semester. No exams. The link leads to PDF versions of the homework assignments.
| Homework | 100 % |
Hill's Equation Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors Generalize Eigenvectors Cayley-Hamilton, Jordan, etc. Center Manifolds