Real-world systems that involve some non-smooth change are often well-modeled by piecewise-smooth systems. However there still remain many gaps in the mathematical theory of such systems. This doctoral thesis presents new results regarding bifurcations of piecewise-smooth, continuous, autonomous systems of ordinary differential equations and maps. Various codimension-two, discontinuity induced bifurcations are unfolded in a rigorous manner. Several of these unfoldings are applied to a mathematical model of the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (a common yeast). The nature of resonance near border-collision bifurcations is described; in particular, the curious geometry of resonance tongues in piecewise-smooth continuous maps is explained in detail.Neimark-Sacker-like border-collision bifurcations are both numerically and theoretically investigated. A comprehensive background section is conveniently provided for those with little or no experience in piecewise-smooth systems.

Real-world systems that involve some non-smooth change are often well-modeled by piecewise-smooth systems. However there still remain many gaps in the mathematical theory of such systems. This doctoral thesis presents new results regarding bifurcations of piecewise-smooth, continuous, autonomous systems of ordinary differential equations and maps. Various codimension-two, discontinuity induced bifurcations are unfolded in a rigorous manner. Several of these unfoldings are applied to a mathematical model of the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (a common yeast). The nature of resonance near border-collision bifurcations is described; in particular, the curious geometry of resonance tongues in piecewise-smooth continuous maps is explained in detail. NeimarkSacker-like border-collision bifurcations are both numerically and theoretically investigated. A comprehensive background section is conveniently provided for those with little or no experience in piecewise-smooth systems.

Technical problems often lead to differential equations with piecewise-smooth right-hand sides. Problems in mechanical engineering, for instance, violate the requirements of smoothness if they involve collisions, finite clearances, or stick-slip phenomena. Systems of this type can display a large variety of complicated bifurcation scenarios that still lack a detailed description.This book presents some of the fascinating new phenomena that one can observe in piecewise-smooth dynamical systems. The practical significance of these phenomena is demonstrated through a series of well-documented and realistic applications to switching power converters, relay systems, and different types of pulse-width modulated control systems. Other examples are derived from mechanical engineering, digital electronics, and economic business-cycle theory.The topics considered in the book include abrupt transitions associated with modified period-doubling, saddle-node and Hopf bifurcations, the interplay between classical bifurcations and border-collision bifurcations, truncated bifurcation scenarios, period-tripling and -quadrupling bifurcations, multiple-choice bifurcations, new types of direct transitions to chaos, and torus destruction in nonsmooth systems.In spite of its orientation towards engineering problems, the book addresses theoretical and numerical problems in sufficient detail to be of interest to nonlinear scientists in general.

This book presents a coherent framework for understanding the dynamics of piecewise-smooth and hybrid systems. An informal introduction expounds the ubiquity of such models via numerous. The results are presented in an informal style, and illustrated with many examples. The book is aimed at a wide audience of applied mathematicians, engineers and scientists at the beginning postgraduate level. Almost no mathematical background is assumed other than basic calculus and algebra.

The investigation of dynamics of piecewise-smooth maps is both intriguing from the mathematical point of view and important for applications in various fields, ranging from mechanical and electrical engineering up to financial markets. In this book, we review the attracting and repelling invariant sets of continuous and discontinuous one-dimensional piecewise-smooth maps. We describe the bifurcations occurring in these maps (border collision and degenerate bifurcations, as well as homoclinic bifurcations and the related transformations of chaotic attractors) and survey the basic scenarios and structures involving these bifurcations. In particular, the bifurcation structures in the skew tent map and its application as a border collision normal form are discussed. We describe the period adding and incrementing bifurcation structures in the domain of regular dynamics of a discontinuous piecewise-linear map, and the related bandcount adding and incrementing structures in the domain of robust chaos. Also, we explain how these structures originate from particular codimension-two bifurcation points which act as organizing centers. In addition, we present the map replacement technique which provides a powerful tool for the description of bifurcation structures in piecewise-linear and other form of invariant maps to a much further extent than the other approaches.

Providing readers with a solid basis in dynamical systems theory, as well as explicit procedures for application of general mathematical results to particular problems, the focus here is on efficient numerical implementations of the developed techniques. The book is designed for advanced undergraduates or graduates in applied mathematics, as well as for Ph.D. students and researchers in physics, biology, engineering, and economics who use dynamical systems as model tools in their studies. A moderate mathematical background is assumed, and, whenever possible, only elementary mathematical tools are used. This new edition preserves the structure of the first while updating the context to incorporate recent theoretical developments, in particular new and improved numerical methods for bifurcation analysis.

The book is devoted to the qualitative study of differential equations defined by piecewise linear (PWL) vector fields, mainly continuous, and presenting two or three regions of linearity. The study focuses on the more common bifurcations that PWL differential systems can undergo, with emphasis on those leading to limit cycles. Similarities and differences with respect to their smooth counterparts are considered and highlighted. Regarding the dimensionality of the addressed problems, some general results in arbitrary dimensions are included. The manuscript mainly addresses specific aspects in PWL differential systems of dimensions 2 and 3, which are sufficinet for the analysis of basic electronic oscillators. The work is divided into three parts. The first part motivates the study of PWL differential systems as the natural next step towards dynamic complexity when starting from linear differential systems. The nomenclature and some general results for PWL systems in arbitrary dimensions are introduced. In particular, a minimal representation of PWL systems, called canonical form, is presented, as well as the closing equations, which are fundamental tools for the subsequent study of periodic orbits. The second part contains some results on PWL systems in dimension 2, both continuous and discontinuous, and both with two or three regions of linearity. In particular, the focus-center-limit cycle bifurcation and the Hopf-like bifurcation are completely described. The results obtained are then applied to the study of different electronic devices. In the third part, several results on PWL differential systems in dimension 3 are presented. In particular, the focus-center-limit cycle bifurcation is studied in systems with two and three linear regions, in the latter case with symmetry. Finally, the piecewise linear version of the Hopf-pitchfork bifurcation is introduced. The analysis also includes the study of degenerate situations. Again, the above results are applied to the study of different electronic oscillators.