Customer Reviews

Chaos and Time-Series Analysis

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I had heard about this book from a friend with an interest in nonlinear dynamics; this is surprising in itself, since the book has been out for less than a year and already seems to be getting a positive reputation. The book more than lived up to my friend's recommendation. It is encyclopedic and remarkably clear. For anyone who is interested in linking nonlinear dynamical theory with empirical methodology, this is the best place that I know of to start.

This book covers a lot of material on chaos and fractals briefly but in detail. The writing is very clear and engaging; the mathematics is presented clearly. This book is especially notable for its clear descriptions of the algorithms used to do the analyses described, and for its accessible coverage of methods for analyzing data (rather than equations) from complex systems. It would be particularly useful for ecologists (and possibly economists) with long-term data sets to analyze.

For those wishing to upgrade their grasp of chaos theory, dynamics, nonlinear data analysis, with an introduction to related aspects of complexity including fractals and complex systems, this is the best book I have yet seen, and supplements the excellet visual dynamics books by Ralph Abraham. It arose from the upper level course taught by Sprott at the University of Wisconsin. The book is well supported by his website, which will always keep the book updated. It is nicely hands-on with lots of exercises and a programming project with each chapter. For those impatient to write programs, having a program like Berkeley Madonna to solve systems equations is handy for exploring some of the example systems. It has three excellent appendices, one a catalog of 62 dynamical systems, another useful mathematical formulas, and the last a compilation of useful journals. I found it incredibly comprehensive covering all aspects of the many subjects. And exceptionally clear, updating any necessary mathematics with clear explanations...