Guest Editorial - Special Issue on Chaos in Science and Engineering (Issue 3)

As it is widely believed that 'where chaos begins, classical science stops' I 11, readers wilI probably wish to know how this Special Issue originated. An initial glance at the contents is the real reason, as it demonstrates the sheer variety of fields in which chaos theory is currently applied. This variety is the catalyst. One of us (Michael Collins) is a Vice-Chair of the Thermo Fluids Group of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and made a proposal some years ago for a one-day expert seminar on chaos. This was accepted by the Group, which entitled it 'Is Chaos Any Use?' At the time it was also envisaged that, both individually and jointly, the presentations would warrant developing into an archival publication. While in the end, however, it did not prove possible to hold the proposed meeting, the objective of an integrated publication was pursued within the IMechE and resulted in the enthusiastic approval of the Editor and Board. For the proposed material to be suitable for publication as a Special Issue of this Journal, however, it was deemed necessary for its scope to be broadened and made more international. This stage coincided with the holding of a three-day Conference entitled 'Bifurcations: The Use and Control of Chaos' held in Southampton, UK in 2003 by the Institution of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA). The Co-Chairman, Marian Wiercigroch, now a Member of Council of IMA, gladly consented also to be a Guest Editor. This issue is the result of our joint initiative.