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From: guan@CHICONE.CS.MISSOURI.EDU (Guan)
Newsgroups: comp.theory.dynamic-sys
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Date: 24 Jan 91 20:35:48 GMT
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Reply-To: Guan <guan@CHICONE.CS.MISSOURI.EDU>
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     I am planning to teach an undergraduate level course on chaotic
dynamical systems for junior or senior level science and engineer majors.
The goal is to introduce some basic mathematical ideas and phenomena
in chaotic dynamical systems for someone without a great deal of mathematical
background.

     My plan is to use primarily part I and part II of Bob Devaney's
book "An Introduction to Chaotic Dynamical Systems" to give a
reasonable mathematical background.  Also let students observe
the phenomena by running their own experiments on computers using one
of the several dynamics programs available, e.g. "Dynamics" by Jim Yorke,
"MacMath" by Hubbard and West, or the one by Parker and Chua.  I am
quite sure that similar courses must have been done somewhere else
before.   I would like to get some general comments and opinion from
people who taught, or took such a course.   I would also like to see if
I can get answer on the following questions :

   1.  Is there published report or discussion on a course like this
anywhere?

   2.  Is there other text book that might be appropriate, either as a
alternative, or as supplement to Devaney's book?

   3.  What is the minimal prerequisite for a course like this? Some
linear algebra, or just calculus would do?   Do we really need
advanced calculus, as indicated in Devaney?

   4.  Is there review, or systematic evaluation of these dynamics
programs published anywhere?   If there isn't, my plan is to take the
opportunity of this course to perform such a review.   If a review is
to be done, what programs should be included?

   5.  To those who taught such a course before, is it possible for me to
get a copy of your course outline or syllabus, and some comments on how
things went in the class?   Please send any text or TeX file would be
just fine.

    If there are enough response to my questions, or enough interest
about the answer, I'll send a follow-up later.   Thank you all in advance.

Guan-Hsong Hsu               | (314)882-8275
Department of Mathematics    | guan@chicone.cs.missouri.edu (preferred)
University of Missouri       | mathhsu@umcvmb.bitnet
Columbia. MO 65211           |