The remarkable fact that determinism does not imply either regular behavior or predictability has had a major impact on many fields of science, engineering, and mathematics. The discovery of chaos changes our understanding of the foundations of physics, and has many practical applications as well. This subject sheds new light on the workings of lasers, fluids, mechanical structures, chemical reactions, earthquakes, neural networks, and biological rhythms.

Interest in chaos (or more generally, nonlinear dynamics) grew rapidly after 1963, when Lorenz published his numerical work on a simplified model of convection and discussed its implications for weather prediction. The research literature has exploded, and many books on chaotic dynamics have appeared. The first edition of this book was the first work aimed at a level at once more accessible than graduate texts, and yet more suitable for nonspecialists, including undergraduates in science, than various popular books on chaos. It has been used by scientists and students wishing to have a true introduction, and as a text or text supplement for courses in mathematics, physics, and engineering. These include short courses on chaos, classical mechanics, or modern physics. Some of the material can be included in an introductory course in physics, engineering, or differential equations.

Chaotic dynamics: an introduction introduces chaotic dynamics through the study of the driven pendulum, a simple system whose nonlinear properties are often ignored in teaching mathematics and physics.