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Ivancevic_Applied-Diff-Geom

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Chapter 1IntroductionIn this introductory chapter we will firstly give a soft, ‘plain English’ introductioninto manifolds and related differential–geometric terms, withintention to make this book accessible to the wider scientific and engineeringcommunity. Secondly, we will present the paradigm of differential–geometric modelling of dynamical systems, in the form of a generic algorithmic‘recipe’ (see [<strong>Ivancevic</strong> and <strong>Ivancevic</strong> (2006)] for background details).The readers familiar with the manifold concept can skip the first sectionand only quickly review the second one.1.1 Manifolds and Related <strong>Geom</strong>etrical StructuresThe core of both differential geometry and modern geometrical dynamicsrepresents the concept of manifold. A manifold is an abstract mathematicalspace, which locally (i.e., in a close–up view) resembles the spaces describedby Euclidean geometry, but which globally (i.e., when viewed as a whole)may have a more complicated structure. As main pure–mathematical references,we recommend popular graduate textbooks by two ex–Bourbakimembers, Serge Lang [Lang (2005); Lang (2003); Lang (2002); Lang (1999)]and Jean Dieudonne [Dieudonne (1969); Dieudonne (1988)]. Besides, thereader might wish to consult some other ‘classics’, including [Spivak (1965);Spivak (1970-75); Choquet-Bruhat and DeWitt-Morete (1982); Bott and Tu(1982); Abraham et al. (1988); De Rham (1984); Milnor (1997); Munkres(1999)], as well as free internet sources [Wikipedia (2005); Weisstein (2004);PlanetMath (2006)]. Finally, as first–order applications, we recommendthree popular textbooks in mechanics, [Abraham and Marsden (1978);Arnold (1989); Marsden and Ratiu (1999)].For example, the surface of Earth is a manifold; locally it seems to be1

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