  The motion of beams in particle accelerators is dominated by a plethora of
non-linear effects which can enhance chaotic motion and limit their
performance. The application of advanced non-linear dynamics methods for
detecting and correcting these effects and thereby increasing the region of
beam stability plays an essential role during the accelerator design phase but
also their operation. After describing the nature of non-linear effects and
their impact on performance parameters of different particle accelerator
categories, the theory of non-linear particle motion is outlined. The recent
developments on the methods employed for the analysis of chaotic beam motion
are detailed. In particular, the ability of the frequency map analysis method
to detect chaotic motion and guide the correction of non-linear effects is
demonstrated in particle tracking simulations but also experimental data.
