Asymptotic Methods for Relaxation Oscillations and Applications (Applied Mathematical Sciences, 63)

Pbk, xiii, 221 p.Contents : 1. Introduction -- 1.1 The Van der Pol oscillator -- 1.2 Mechanical prototypes of relaxation oscillators -- 1.3 Relaxation oscillations in physics and biology -- 1.4 Discontinuous approximations -- 1.5 Matched asymptotic expansions -- 1.6 Forced oscillations -- 1.7 Mutual entrainment -- 2 Free oscillation -- 2.1 Autonomous relaxation oscillation: definition and existence -- 2.2 Asymptotic solution of the Van der Pol equation -- 2.3 The Volterra-Lotka equations -- 2.4 Chemical oscillations -- 2.5 Bifurcation of the Van der Pol equation with a constant forcing term -- 2.6 Stochastic and chaotic oscillations -- 3. Forced oscillation and mutual entrainment -- 3.1 Modeling coupled oscillations -- 3.2 A rigorous theory for weakly coupled oscillators -- 3.3 Coupling of two oscillators -- 4. The Van der Pol oscillator with a sinusoidal forcing term -- 4.1 Qualitative methods of analysis -- 4.2 Asymptotic solution of the Van der Pol equation with a moderate forcing term -- 4.2 Asymptotic solution of the Van der Pol equation with a large forcing term -- 4.3 Asymptotic solution of the Van der Pol equation with a large forcing term -- Appendices -- A: Asymptotics of some special functions -- B: Asymptotic ordering and expansions -- C: Concepts of the theory of dynamical systems -- D: Stochastic differential equations and diffusion approximations [Mathematical physics - Theoretical, Mathematical and Computational Physics. Asymptotic expansions - Differential equations, Nonlinear Asymptotic theory - Oscillations - Mathematical physics] r1090 / m16709.…