BAL: a library for the brute-force analysis of dynamical systems

This paper describes the functionality and usage of bal, a C/C++ library with a Python front-end for the brute-force analysis of continuous-time dynamical systems described by ordinary differential equations (ODEs). bal provides an easy-to-use wrapper for the efficient numerical integration of ODEs and, by detecting intersections of the trajectory with appropriate Poincaré sections, allows to classify the asymptotic trajectory of a dynamical system for bifurcation analysis. Some examples of application are discussed, concerning two-dimensional bifurcation diagrams, Lyapunov exponents and finite-time Lyapunov exponents, basins of attraction, simulation of switching ODE systems, and integration with AUTO, a software package for continuation analysis.