Nonlinear dynamics in acoustics

A survey is given on the achievements of nonlinear dynamics and the application of their methods in the field of acoustics. The basic notions of nonlinear dynamical system theory are addressed: the state space with its attractors and Poincare sections, delay coordinate embedding as a prerequisite for nonlinear time series analysis of experimental data for determining fractal dimensions, the Lyapunov spectrum and bifurcations. Acoustic systems that can be approached with these methods are discussed, among them vibrated surfaces, musical instruments, thermoacoustic oscillators, vocal cords, the ear and acoustic cavitation.