A Topological Introduction to Nonlinear Analysis

Here is a book that will be a joy to the mathematician or graduate student of mathematics – or even the well-prepared undergraduate – who would like, with a minimum of background and preparation, to understand some of the beautiful results at the heart of nonlinear analysis. Based on carefully-expounded ideas from several branches of topology, and illustrated by a wealth of figures that attest to the geometric nature of the exposition, the book will be of immense help in providing its readers with an understanding of the mathematics of the nonlinear phenomena that characterize our real world.

This book is ideal for self-study for mathematicians and students interested in such areas of geometric and algebraic topology, functional analysis, differential equations, and applied mathematics. It is a sharply focused and highly readable view of nonlinear analysis by a practicing topologist who has seen a clear path to understanding.

I Fixed Point Existence Theory.- 1 The Topological Point of View.- 2 Ascoli-Arzela Theory.- 3 Brouwer Fixed Point Theory.- 4 Schauder Fixed Point Theory.- 5 The Forced Pendulum.- 6 Equilibrium Heat Distribution.- 7 Generalized Bernstein Theory.- II Degree Theory.- 8 Brouwer Degree.- 9 Properties of the Brouwer Degree.- 10 Leray-Schauder Degree.- 11 Properties of the Leray-Schauder Degree.- 12 The Mawhin Operator.- 13 The Pendulum Swings Back.- III Bifurcation Theory.- 14 A Separation Theorem.- 15 Compact Linear Operators.- 16 The Degree Calculation.- 17 The Krasnoselskii-Rabinowitz Bifurcation Theorem.- 18 Nonlinear Sturm-Liouville Theory.- 19 More Sturm-Liouville Theory.- 20 Euler Buckling.- IV Appendices.- A Singular Homology.- B Additivity and Product Properties.- C Bounded Linear Transformations.- C Bounded Linear Transformations.- References.