Time-reversal symmetry in dynamical systems: A survey

Abstract

In this paper we survey the topic of time-reversal symmetry in dynamical systems. We begin with a brief discussion of the position of time-reversal symmetry in physics. After defining time-reversal symmetry as it applies to dynamical systems, we then introduce a major theme of our survey, namely the relation of time-reversible dynamical sytems to equivariant and Hamiltonian dynamical systems. We follow with a survey of the state of the art on the theory of reversible dynamical systems, including results on symmetric periodic orbits, local bifurcation theory, homoclinic orbits, and renormalization and scaling. Some areas of physics and mathematics in which reversible dynamical systems arise are discussed. In an appendix, we provide an extensive bibliography on the topic of time-reversal symmetry in dynamical systems.