ABSTRACT
Most dynamical systems of interest are not gradient systems. That is, the corresponding differential equations cannot be reduced to the form (1.2). Much is known about the dynamics of such systems. Typically, for example, such equations have a small number of isolated stable equilibrium points and information about system behaviour is presented as trajectories on state space (or phase) diagrams. The stable points act as attractors (and correspondingly, unstable points as repellors) and these points shape the contours of the trajectories in state space accordingly as we will see in examples below.
