Nonlinear Dynamics I: Chaos
MIT OpenCourseWare's introduction to nonlinear dynamics and chaos in dissipative systems, aimed at undergraduates in engineering and science. The course covers bifurcations, phase plane analysis, strange attractors, fractals, and the transition to chaos, building from one-dimensional maps and flows up to systems like the Lorenz equations. Materials include lecture notes, problem sets with solutions, and exam materials drawn from the actual MIT course. The emphasis is on geometric and qualitative reasoning about dynamical systems rather than heavy analytic machinery, with applications drawn from mechanics, population biology, and fluid dynamics. As with other MIT OCW offerings, all materials are free to use and there is no certificate. The course assumes familiarity with differential equations and linear algebra and serves as a first course in nonlinear dynamics before more advanced treatments of chaos and pattern formation.