
Chapter 19
Introduction to Dynamical Systems
19.1 Introduction
Computational models of dynamical systems are used to study the behavior of
systems over time. The foundations for modeling dynamical systems are based on the
mathematical concepts of derivatives, integrals, and differential equations. Models of
dynamical systems use difference and differential equations to describe the behavior
of the systems they represent. This chapter discusses models of dynamical systems
and the computer (numerical) solution to the corresponding types of equations using
C and the GSL.
19.2 Continuous and Discrete Models
As mentioned in Chapter 1, from the perspective of ...