I have just begun my first dynamical systems class, and I would like to try out the advice in the top answer [here](https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/1844354/what-is-the-correct-way-to-self-learn-from-a-textbook?rq=1). To summarize, the answer suggests that when studying a new field, one should look at the original papers, and supplement it with modern material.


My class is roughly following *Introduction to Dynamical Systems* by Brin and Stuck. We are starting in the second chapter, which is about topological dynamics (it is only 20 pages, but very dense). I was wondering if you could please recommend me some authors/papers which started the field?


Thank you very much.



What are some foundational authors/papers in dynamical systems?
Philip Holmes has summarized on [Scholarpedia](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/History_of_dynamical_systems) the seminal early developments of the field of dynamical systems, from the mathematical point of view (which I understand is the view point of the OP). Starting from the classic works of Poincaré and Birkhoff, through Andronov, Pontryagin and the Moscow School, to the "era of chaos" (Smale, Levinson, Chirikov, Lorenz, KAM, Ruelle & Takens, ...).


