BIFURCATIONS · Bifurcations in nonsmooth differential equations

The increasing amount of problems faced by mathematicians and engineers alike to understand transition phenomena caused by nonsmooth perturbations, cannot be satisfactorily treated with established (smooth) techniques. This proposal addresses the systematic development of the theory for bifurcations in nonsmooth differential equations at the Dynamical Systems group of Imperial College London. The methodology proposed in the project is based on recent key achievements by the applicant and his collaborators. The proposed research will launch a collaborative network of leading experts in mathematics and engineering in the theory of nonsmooth bifurcations within the UK and across the EU. The development of a general theory of bifurcations of stable periodic solutions in oscillating systems with nonsmooth perturbations is urgently required in relation to recently obtained numerical and experimental data in the context of several open problems in engineering.