Catastrophes and partial differential equations

Author:
  • JGJohn Guckenheimer
    John Guckenheimer
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Abstract
This paper outlines the manner in which Thom’s theory of catastrophes fits into the Hamilton-Jacobi theory of partial differential equations. The representation of solutions of a first order partial differential equation as lagrangian manifolds allows one to study the local structure of their singularities. The structure of generic singularities is closely related to Thom’s concept of the elementary catastrophe associated to a singularity. Three concepts of the stability of a singularity are discussed.