Due to the significance of nonlinear systems and circuits in many applications such as physics, control, biophysics, and bioengineering, enormous research activities have been highlighted to model the practical and experimental insights of such phenomena. Chaotic systems are nonlinear dynamical systems which are sensitive to initial conditions, topologically mixing, and with dense periodic orbits. The chaos phenomenon was first observed in weather models by Lorenz in 1963. This was followed by a discovery of a large number of chaotic systems in many different fields like computer sciences, mechanics, communication, economics and finance, biology, chemistry, medicine, and geology.

Recently, the developments of nonlinear circuits and memristors have had a big impact on the way scientists and engineers apply analytical and computational techniques. In the last four years, many systems have been investigated using the innovative features of mem-elements in the analysis and designs of nonlinear circuits and systems, such as chaotic systems. Due to the difficulties of nonlinear circuit design, contributions towards new ideas, techniques, modeling, analysis, design, or fabrication will have a direct impact on future applications and the industry.

The chaotic dynamics of fractional order systems began to attract a great deal of attention in recent years due to the ease of their electronic implementations. Due to the very high sensitivity of these chaotic systems which is required for many applications, there was a need to discuss the coupling of two or more dissipative chaotic systems which is known as synchronization. Chaotic synchronization has been applied in many different fields, such as biological, physical systems, structural engineering, and ecological models.

This special issue aims at presenting the latest developments, trends, research solutions and applications of fractional-order and memristive chaotic systems with emphasis on real-world applications.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Bioinspired chaotic systems
• Boolean chaotic systems
• Chaos analysis, control, and anticontrol
• Chaos in optical systems
• Chaos modelling and encryption
• Chaos synchronization and antisynchronization
• Chaos-based digital and secure communication
• Chaos-based path planning for robots
• Chaotic neural networks, electronics, and systems
• Circuit implementation and analysis of hyperchaotic systems
• Control and synchronization of complex networks
• Delayed and fractional-order bifurcation analysis
• Fractional order modelling of physical and bioengineering systems
• Fractional order nonlinear circuits and systems
• Fractional system identification and optimization
• Memristive modelling and applications
• Memristive nonlinear circuits and systems
• Nonlinear analysis in algorithms and simulation issues
• Nonlinear Physics, control, and bioengineering models
• Software and hardware encryption/steganography applications
• Text, image, and video based chaotic encryption