Download or read book Collective Dynamics of Nonlinear and Disordered Systems written by Günter Radons and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-11-02 with total page 377 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Phase transitions in disordered systems and related dynamical phenomena are a topic of intrinsically high interest in theoretical and experimental physics. This book presents a unified view, adopting concepts from each of the disjoint fields of disordered systems and nonlinear dynamics. Special attention is paid to the glass transition, from both experimental and theoretical viewpoints, to modern concepts of pattern formation, and to the application of the concepts of dynamical systems for understanding equilibrium and nonequilibrium properties of fluids and solids. The content is accessible to graduate students, but will also be of benefit to specialists, since the presentation extends as far as the topics of ongoing research work.