Dynamical Functional Equations PDF

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LTCC COURSE IN DYNAMICAL FUNCTIONAL EQUATIONS AND

THEIR APPLICATIONS

• Course Title: Dynamical Functional Equations and their Applications


• Core Audience: First year graduate students and beyond
• Course Format: Extended (10 hours at 2 hours per week)
• Keywords: functional equation, iteration, nonlinear dynamics, renormalization, lin-
earization, Schröder and Abel equations
• Lectures. Five two-hour lectures on the following topics:
(1) Overview of elementary concepts from dynamical systems: iteration, fixed
points and periodic orbits, stability, conjugacy and semi-conjugacy, fundamen-
tal domains. We shall also give a brief overview the most important classical
examples of dynamical systems.
(2) Dynamical Functional equations: introduction and examples.
(3) One dimensional Schröder’s equation: properties, solution, applications. Higher
dimensional examples: linearization of maps and differential equations around
fixed/equilibrium points
(4) Abel’s equation, properties, solution, and applications. The one-dimensional
linear functional equation, including applications to log-periodic power laws in
the natural sciences and finance.
(5) Linear functional equations, definition, relationship to iterated function sys-
tems, spectral and other properties of associated operators. Examples and
applications.
(6) Nonlinear functional equations, examples including the Feigenbaum functional
equation, solution methods, application to critical phenomena in dynamical
systems.
• Format
(1) Four exercise sheets
(2) Electronic notes (to be made available after end of course, if not earlier)
• Prerequisites: Standard undergraduate courses in real and complex analysis and
ordinary differential equations. Some knowledge of nonlinear dynamical systems
would be an advantage but is not necessary.
• References
– Jaroslav Smı́tal, On Functions and Functional Equations, Adam Hilger, 1988,
ISBN 0852744188. (This is a nice introduction to functional equations.)
– Marek Kuczma, Bogdan Choczewski, Roman Ger, Iterative Functional Equa-
tions Issue 32 of Encyclopedia of Mathematics and its Applications, ISSN 0953-
4806, Cambridge University Press, 1990, ISBN 0521355613, 9780521355612
2 LTCC COURSE IN DYNAMICAL FUNCTIONAL EQUATIONS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

(This is a comprehensive book on functional equations, suitable for those who


wish to take their studies further.)
• Lecturer details: Dr Ben Mestel (Open University), Ben.Mestel@open.ac.uk

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