Chemical Chaos (International Series of Monographs on Chemistry)

Chaos theory challenges fundamental ideas in all areas of science, and many of the best examples arise in chemistry. This valuable account of chemical chaos reviews both theory and experiment, emphasizing the simple features that combine to produce 'order within disorder'. The basic building blocks for chaos--nonlinearity and feedback--occur quite naturally in chemical systems. Chaos does not appear suddenly or at random, but is created through one of a small number of highly ordered sequences of increasing complexity. These sequences are comprised of qualitative changes in behavior or 'bifurcations.' The author begins by revealing the links between chemical kinetics and the interdisciplinary subject of dynamical systems. Various bifurcation sequences are then introduced through representative model schemes, with the emphasis on generality and simplicity. Various experimental and diagnostic techniques to test for chaos are then described, and the remaining chapters review experimental studies in a wide range of chemical and biochemical systems. The work is important for researchers and advanced undergraduates in physical chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, and chemical and mechanical engineering.