IOP Groups

Theory and Applications of Perturbation Methods

Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Glasgow
September 17, 2002

Summary Points raised in the final discussion:

• It would be instructive from the mechanical engineering perspective to undertake some research into the design of experiments on vibrations and the ordering of terms within defining equations of motion. At the moment the coupling between the two is rather tenuous.
• Effects of large perturbation parameters within strongly nonlinear systems need to be considered more widely given that many nonlinear phenomena within engineering are definitionally strong.
• A multidisciplinary review paper which generalises perturbation methods in an assimilable manner, whilst also mapping specific methods and expansions to different problem types, would be very useful across the different research communities that use perturbation methods.
• Classification of methodologies for Lie group structures, the use of Mathematica in celestial mechanics, the possibility of an EPSRC network on Computer Algebra Systems, and the availability of tractable code for Lyapunov theory are all follow-up actions that were summarised as being useful and necessary.
• A list of packages and references for Computer Algebra Systems should be initiated in due course.

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