Kolmogorov Pathways from Integrability to Chaos and Beyond

Abstract

Two limits of Newtonian mechanics were worked out by Kolmogorov. On one side it was shown that in a generic integrable Hamiltonian system, regular quasi-periodic motion persists when a small perturbation is applied. This result, known as Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser (KAM) theorem, gives mathematical bounds for integrability and perturbations. On the other side it was proven that almost all numbers on the interval between zero and one are uncomputable, have positive Kolmogorov complexity and, therefore, can be considered as random. In the case of nonlinear dynamics with exponential (i.e. Lyapunov) instability this randomnesss, hidden in the initial conditions, rapidly explodes with time, leading to unpredictable chaotic dynamics in a perfectly deterministic system. Fundamental mathematical theorems were obtained in these two limits, but the generic situation corresponds to the intermediate regime between them. This intermediate regime, which still lacks a rigorous description, has been mainly investigated by physicists with the help of theoretical estimates and numerical simulations. In this contribution we outline the main achievements in this area with reference to speci.c examples of both lowdimensional and high-dimensional dynamical systems. We shall also discuss the successes and limitations of numerical methods and the modern trends in physical applications, including quantum computations.