This book presents the fundamentals of chaos theory in conservative systems and provides a systematic study of the theory of transitional states of physical systems that lie between deterministic and chaotic behavior. The authors begin with the general concepts of Hamiltonian dynamics, stabililty, and chaos, and then discuss the theory of stochastic layers and webs and the numerous applications of this theory, particularly to pattern symmetry. Throughout, they are meticulous in providing a detailed presentation of the material, which enables the reader to learn the necessary computational methods and to apply them to other problems. The inclusion of computer graphics will aid understanding and the final section of the book contains a collection of patterns in art and living nature that will fascinate. (view table of contents)