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We present a number of second order maps, which pass the singularity confinement test commonly used to identify integrable discrete systems, but which nevertheless are nonintegrable. As a more sensitive integrability test, we propose the analysis of the complexity ("algebraic entropy") of the map using the growth of the degree of its iterates: integrability is associated with polynomial growth while the generic growth is exponential for chaotic systems.

By constructing the general six-parameter bright two-soliton solution of the integrable coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equation (Manakov model) using the Hirota method, we find that the solitons exhibit certain novel inelastic collision properties, which have not been observed in any other (1+1) dimensional soliton system so far. In particular, we identify the exciting possibility of switching solitons between modes by changing the phase. However, the standard elastic collision property of solitons is regained with specific choices of parameters.

This first introductory text to discrete integrable systems introduces key notions of integrability from the vantage point of discrete systems, also making connections with the continuous theory where relevant. While treating the material at an elementary level, the book also highlights many recent developments. Topics include: Darboux and Bäcklund transformations; difference equations and special functions; multidimensional consistency of integrable lattice equations; associated linear problems (Lax pairs); connections with Padé approximants and convergence algorithms; singularities and geometry; Hirota's bilinear formalism for lattices; intriguing properties of discrete Painlevé equations; and the novel theory of Lagrangian multiforms. The book builds the material in an organic way, emphasizing interconnections between the various approaches, while the exposition is mostly done through explicit computations on key examples. Written by respected experts in the field, the numerous exercises and the thorough list of references will benefit upper-level undergraduate, and beginning graduate students as well as researchers from other disciplines.

In recent years there have been new insights into the integrability of quadrilateral lattice equations, i.e. partial difference equations which are the natural discrete analogues of integrable partial differential equations in 1+1 dimensions. In the scalar (i.e. single-field) case there now exist classification results by Adler, Bobenko and Suris (ABS) leading to some new examples in addition to the lattice equations "of KdV type" that were known since the late 1970s and early 1980s. In this paper we review the construction of soliton solutions for the KdV type lattice equations and use those results to construct N -soliton solutions for all lattice equations in the ABS list except for the elliptic case of Q4, which is left to a separate treatment.

We have studied numerically Faddeev-Hopf knots, which are defined as those unit-vector fields in R 3 that have a nontrivial Hopf charge and minimize Faddeev's Lagrangian. A given initial configuration was allowed to relax into a (local) minimum using the first order dissipative dynamics corresponding to the steepest descent method. A linked combination of two un-knots was seen to relax into different minimum energy configurations depending on their charges and their relative handedness and direction. In order to visualize the results we plot certain gaugeinvariant iso-surfaces.

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