The topic of nonlinear systems is fundamental to the study of systems engineering. So extensive investigations have been carried out by both the nonlinear control and nonlinear dynamics communities, but the focus can be different — on controllers design and dynamics analysis, respectively. The last two decades have witnessed the gradual merging of control theory and dynamics analysis, but not yet to the extent of controlling nonlinear dynamics such as bifurcations and chaos. This monograph is an attempt to fill that gap while presenting a rather comprehensive coverage of the fundamental nonlinear systems theory in a self-contained and approachable manner. This introductory treatise is written for self-study and, in particular, as an elementary textbook that can be taught in a one-semester course to advanced undergraduates or entrance level graduates with curricula focusing on nonlinear systems, both on control theory and dynamics analysis.
Professor Guanrong (Ron) Chen received the MSc degree in computational mathematics from Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, China in 1981, and the PhD degree in applied mathematics from Texas A&M University, USA in 1987. He has been a chair professor (now, "Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund Chair Professorship in Engineering") and the founding director of the Centre for Complexity and Complex Networks at City University of Hong Kong since year 2000, prior to that he was a tenured full professor at the University of Houston, Texas, USA.
Prof. Chen was elected Member of the Academy of Europe (Academia Europaea) in 2014 and Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences in 2015. In the past, he was elected IEEE Fellow in 1997 and became Life Fellow since 2019. He was conferred Honorary Doctorates by Saint Petersburg State University, Russia in 2011 and by University of Le Havre, Normandy, France in 2014. He has published more than 700 research articles and 31 books of various types, and is a Highly Cited Researcher in Engineering and also in Mathematics according to Thomson Reuters (now Clarivate Web of Science), was the 2011 Euler Gold Medallist named by the Euler Foundation of Russia, and recipient of 2008, 2012 and 2016 Chinese State Natural Science Awards as well as 8 best journal paper awards. He is Honorary Professor at different ranks in some 30 universities worldwide.
Prof. Chen's main research pursuit is in nonlinear systems control and dynamics, as well as complex networks. Currently, he is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos.