A massive transition of interest from solving linear partial differential equations to solving nonlinear ones has taken place during the last two or three decades. The availability of better computers has often made numerical experimentations progress faster than the theoretical understanding of nonlinear partial differential equations. The three most important nonlinear phenomena observed so far both experimentally and numerically, and studied theoretically in connection with such equations have been the solitons, shock waves and turbulence or chaotical processes. In many ways, these phenomena have presented increasing difficulties in the mentioned order. In particular, the latter two phenomena necessarily lead to nonclassical or generalized solutions for nonlinear partial differential equations.

A massive transition of interest from solving linear partial differential equations to solving nonlinear ones has taken place during the last two or three decades. The availability of better computers has often made numerical experimentations progress faster than the theoretical understanding of nonlinear partial differential equations. The three most important nonlinear phenomena observed so far both experimentally and numerically, and studied theoretically in connection with such equations have been the solitons, shock waves and turbulence or chaotical processes. In many ways, these phenomena have presented increasing difficulties in the mentioned order. In particular, the latter two phenomena necessarily lead to nonclassical or generalized solutions for nonlinear partial differential equations.