Demonstrating many fundamental concepts of physics and engineering through the working principles of popular science toys is inexpensive, quickly reaching the senses and inspiring a better learning. The systematic way of setting theoretical model equations for the toys provides a remarkable experience in constructing model equations for physical and engineering systems. Given that most science toys are based on the principles of physics, and to cater to the needs of graduate and master-level programme students in physics and engineering, the present book covers more than 40 wide ranging popular toys. For each toy various features are presented including history, construction, working principle, theoretical model, a solved problem and 5–10 exercises. A course on The Physics of Toys can be designed based on the proposed book to be taught as a full course at graduate and master-level and even to students who have never been exposed to physics. Further, the features of the toys covered in this book can be used to illustrate various concepts and principles in different branches of physics and engineering.
Shanmuganathan Rajasekar joined as a Lecturer in the Department of Physics, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, India in 1993. From 2005, he is a Professor at the School of Physics, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli. He served as the Director of Internal Qualilty Assurance Cell during 2015–2019 and presently is the Director of Research and Development Cell of the University. He is a co-author of the books on Nonlinear Dynamics: Integrability, Chaos and Patterns (with M Lakshmanan, Springer, 2003), Quantum Mechanics I: The Fundamentals and Quantum Mechanics II: Advanced Topics (both with R Velusamy, CRC Press, 2015, first revised edition in 2023) and Nonlinear Resonances (with Miguel A F Sanjuán, Springer, 2016). He has also edited books on Nonlinear Dynamics with M Daniel published by Narosa Publishing House in 2009 and Recent Trends in Chaotic, Nonlinear and Complex Dynamics with Jan Awrejecewicz and Minvydas Ragulskis published by World Scientific in 2022 and edited two issues of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A in 2021 with U E Vincent, P V E McClintock, I A Khovanov on the theme Vibrational and Stochastic Resonances in Driven Nonlinear Systems. He is an Associate Editor of Journal of Applied Nonlinear Dynamics from 2020. His recent research focuses on nonlinear dynamics with a special emphasize on nonlinear resonances. He has authored or co-authored more than 120 research papers in nonlinear dynamics.
Ramiah Velusamy, has an MS in Electrical Engineering and worked as a faculty of Physics in the Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal College, Sivakasi, India during 1981–2010. He is a co-author of the books Quantum Mechanics I: The Fundamentals and Quantum Mechanics II: Advanced Topics (both with S Rajasekar, CRC Press, 2015, first revised edition in 2023). His research topics are quantum confined systems and wave packet dynamics.
Miguel A F Sanjuán received a Bachelor Degree in Physics from the University of Valladolid, Spain, in 1981, where he was granted the Outstanding Graduation Honor for Undergraduate Studies, and a PhD Degree by the National University at a Distance (UNED), Madrid, Spain in 1990, on Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos. Professor of Physics at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. He is the Director of the Research Group in Nonlinear Dynamics, Chaos and Complex Systems. Author of numerous publications in research journals, and of several books. He is Associate Editorial Board Member of several international journals in Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos. He has given invited lectures in many universities in Spain, Europe, USA, Canada, China, Japan, India, Australia, South America and Africa. He has been a Visiting Research Professor at the University of Tokyo, funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; Visiting Research Associate at the Institute for Physical Science and Technology of the University of Maryland at College Park, Visiting Research Professor at Beijing Jiaotong University, and Visiting Professor at the Kaunas Technological University. Fellow de la Japan Society for the Promotion of Science at the University of Tokyo. In 2017, he was a Fulbright Visiting Research Scholar at the University of Maryland. First recipient of the Chieh-Su Hsu Award (2020) for distinguished scholars in Nonlinear Dynamics and Control. He is also the first recipient of the James Yorke Award (2022) for breakthrough achievements in Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos. He is Honorary Professor of Sichuan University of Science and Technology (Zigong, China), and Honorary Professor of Huaqiao University (Xiamen, China). He also serves as the Editor General of the Spanish Royal Physics Society.
