This textbook introduces nonlinear dynamics, chaos, fractal geometry, and bifurcation theory, tailored for master's students in Engineering with some background in linear systems theory. It offers a concise overview of topics that anyone interested in nonlinear dynamics should understand at a basic level. It provides enough detail for readers to build a coherent picture and, if necessary, to decide which topics to investigate further. The presentation is structured with this goal in mind. The selection of topics is broad, allowing readers drawn to nonlinear dynamics by different questions, applications, or perspectives to find their own point of entry into the subject.

Alessandro Colombo received the Diplôme d'Ingénieur from ENSTA, and the Ph.D. from Politecnico di Milano. He was Postdoctoral Associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2010-2012, and is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering at Politecnico di Milano. His research interests include the applications of control theory and nonlinear dynamics to the modeling and understanding of different human activities.