Frank Merle is used to confronting a messy world. A linear equation is something like y = 2x, which states that the value of y doubles whenever you double the value of x. A highly nonlinear system i... Frank Merle is used to confronting a messy world. He works on the mathematics of highly nonlinear systems—ones that respond in dramatic, unpredictable ways to even the smallest changes. It’s the same math that explains how, under the right conditions... [7227 chars]