Mathematics is playing an ever more important role in the physical and biological sciences, provoking a blurring of boundaries between scientific disciplines and a resurgence of interest in the modern as well as the clas­ sical techniques of applied mathematics. This renewal of interest, both in research and teaching, has led to the establishment of the series: Texts in Applied Mathematics (TAM). The development of new courses is a natural consequence of a high level of excitement on the research frontier as newer techniques, such as numerical and symbolic computer systems, dynamical systems, and chaos, mix with and reinforce the traditional methods of applied mathematics. Thus, the purpose of this textbook series is to meet the current and future needs of these advances and encourage the teaching of new courses. TAM will publish textbooks suitable for use in advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate courses, and will complement the Applied Math­ ematical Sciences (AMS) series, which will focus on advanced textbooks and research level monographs.

This textbook, ideal for students and lecturers alike, is nothing less than a systematic study of the qualitative and geometric theory of nonlinear differential equations and dynamical systems. Although the main topic of the book is the local and global behavior of nonlinear systems and their bifurcations, a thorough treatment of linear systems is given at the beginning of the text. All the material necessary for a clear understanding of the qualitative behavior of dynamical systems is contained in this textbook, including an outline of the proof and examples illustrating the proof of the Hartman-Grobman theorem. In addition to minor corrections and updates throughout, this new edition includes materials on higher order Melnikov theory and the bifurcation of limit cycles for planar systems of differential equations, including new sections on Francoise's algorithm for higher order Melnikov functions and on the finite codimension bifurcations that occur in the class of bounded quadratic systems.

Series Preface.- Preface to the Third Edition.- Linear Systems.- Nonlinear Systems: Local Theory.- Nonlinear Systems: Global Theory.- Nonlinear Systems: Bifurcation Theory.- References.- Additional References.- Index.