Textbook in PDF format

This is a personal story about being involved in the study of nonlinear phenomena for more than half a century. The focus is on the development of ideas and the resulting knowledge. This is the visible part of research, but much is usually hidden. The author describes how the ideas were generated and how an “invisible college” of friends and colleagues has emerged. The presentation is spiced by thoughts about the beauty of science and philosophical considerations on the complex world, where nonlinear interactions play an important role.
The book is in some sense a biography but not so much about the personal life of the author – it is about science and its actors. Based on the author's experience in many European research centres and science policy institutions, it reflects on the development of knowledge in nonlinear dynamics as well as science policy actions over the second half of the 20th century and the first quarter of the 21st century. Graduates and postgraduates interested in the progress of research will find the book particularly engaging.
Foreword
Preface
Nonlinearity
Starting the Journey
Institute of Cybernetics
Basic Studies 1969–1979
Further Developments 1979–1999
Centre for Nonlinear Studies – CENS, 1999–2015
Why CENS?
International Advisory Board
What We Did in CENS
My Research Continued in CENS
My Life in CENS
Research Goes on After CENS
Science Policy
Academy
ALLEA and the EU Science Policy
WAAS
Invisible College
What are Invisible Colleges?
My Invisible College
Library
What is All That About?
The Beauty of Nonlinearities
What is Beauty in Science?
Striving for Beauty in CENS
Epilogue
Appendix
Teamwork in CENS: A Brief Summary
Wave Propagation
Material Properties
Numerical Simulation of Wave Propagation
Photoelasticity
Soft Matter Physics
Systems Biology
Wave Engineering
Geometry
Biomedical Engineering
Proactive Technologies
Nonlinear Control Theory
Optics
References