Classical Hamiltonian Chaos

Abstract

This chapter will present classical Hamiltonian mechanics to the extent needed for the semiclassical endeavors to follow. I can confine myself to the bare minimum since many excellent texts on classical chaos are available [1–5]. Readers with a good command of nonlinear dynamics might want to right away start with Sect. 9.14 where I begin expounding the fact that long periodic orbits of hyperbolic systems are not independent individuals but rather come in closely packed bunches.