The March meeting of the Mathematical Society will be held on Tuesday 2nd March, at 6pm in the Engineering Lecture Theatre (ELT), University of Malta (entrance through Car Park 2).  Hussam Sharkawi will speak on "Non-linear Dynamical Systems (Lienard Systems)".

The most important problem connected with the study of Lienard Systems is the limit-cycle. Stable limit-cycles are very important in science. They model systems that exhibit self sustained oscillations. In other words, these systems oscillate even in the absence of external periodic forcing. Examples of these systems include: the beating of a heart, chemical reactions  that oscillate spontaneously, self-excited vibrations in bridges and aeroplane wings, etc.

The Society's April meeting will be held a week later than usual because of the Easter recess. The date set is Tuesday, 13th April, 1999. The use of graphing calculators as a teaching aid will be the theme of discussion.

The Mathematical Society may be contacted c/o Department of Mathematics, University of Malta, Msida; tel. no. 3290-2380; More information can be found on the web at,   http://www.maths.um.edu.mt/MathSoc/intro.htm; or send e-mail to: mathsoc@maths.um.edu.mt.

22 February 1999