The heh~vior of matter anrl waves in a rlynamical setting nffer~ many challenging prohlems to the mathematician anrl the m~terials scientist alike. Unrler review in this volume are a variety of nonlioear phenomena whose con­ sirleration entails new perspectives, oot commooly fouorl in the literatllre. Of particular note is the experimental aspect of many of the papers. In arlrlition, attention has been given ta the interaction of electromagnetic anrl mechanical pro­ perties of materials. Ouestions arise which cannat naw he answererl. Attempts are marle to rlescrihe anrl to unrlerstand phenomena which are far from equilihrium ar which suffer ahrupt changes in behavior. Some of this requires tentative physical or aoalytical assumptions. The hases for these hypotheses lie in the quest for a rational theory which agrees with experiment. This Volume anr! Volume 2, ~scUJation theory, compution, an'!. methorls ~ com­ pensated ~~mpact~ess, offer oi fferent vi ewpoi nts of some of the rlynami cal stllrli es considereo during the 19f14-19R5 IMA program, Continullm Physics and Partial Differenti al Equati ons. Contents of the other volumes, fOllnrl at the enrl of the hook, contain other relevant titles.