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This book aims to provide a straightforward introduction to chemical applications of the catastrophe theory. It is primarily intended for chemists interested in placing chemical reactions in the broader context of non-linear science, but it has a practical relevance for scientists in general. Catastrophe theory deals with those non-linear phenomena in which a continuous change in the control parameters results in a discontinuous alteration of a characteristic quantity of the system. The author discusses the origins of catastrophe theory, giving examples of occurrences in the areas of physics, chemistry and biology. Elementary theory and non-chemical applications are also described. The chemical kinetics and methods of analysis of chemical kinetic equations arising from elementary and generalized catastrophe theories are reviewed. Finally, the theory is applied to analyse and classify phenomena associated with the stability loss that may occur in chemical reactions. The book contains over 100 figures and an extensive subject index.
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COMPREHENSIVE CHEMICAL KINETICS
COMPREHENSIVE Section 1.
THE PRACTICE AND THEORY OF KINETICS (3 volumes)
Section 2.
HOMOGENEOUS DECOMPOSITION AND ISOMERISATION REACTIONS (2 volumes)
Section 3.
INORGANIC REACTIONS (2 volumes)
Section 4.
ORGANIC REACTIONS (6 volumes)
Section 5.
POLYMERISATION REACTIONS ( 3 volumes)
Section 6.
OXIDATION AND COMBUSTION REACTIONS (2 volumes)
Section I.
SELECTED ELEMENTARY REACTIONS (1 volume)
Section 8.
HETEROGENEOUS REACTIONS (4 volumes)
Section 9.
KINETICS AND CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY (1 volume)
Section 10.
MODERN METHODS, THEORY, AND DATA
CHEMICAL KINETICS EDITED BY
R.G. COMPTON
M.A., D. Phil. (Oxon.) University Lecturer in Physical Chemistry and Fellow, St. John's College, Oxford
VOLUME 33
CATASTROPHE THEORY A. OKNINSKI Warsaw University of Technology
ELSEVIER AMSTERDAM-LONDON-NEW YORK-TOKYO
PWN
-
POLISH SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS WARSZAWA 1992
Translated by Andrzej Przyjazny from the Polish edition Teoria katusrrof w chemii, published by Panstwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa 1990 Distribution of this book is being handled by the following publishers: For the USA and Canada ELSEVIER SCIENCE PUBLISHING CO., INC. 655 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10010 For Albania, Bulgaria, Cuba, Czecho-Slovakia, Hungary, Korean People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, People’s Republic of China, Poland, Romania, the USSR, Vietnam and Yugoslavia POLISH SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS PWN LTD. Miodowa 10, 00-251 Warszawa For all remaining areas ELSEVIER SCIENCE PUBLISHERS B.V. Sara Burgerhartstraat 25 P.O. Box 211, loo0 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Okninski Andrzej. [Teoria katastrof w chemii. English] Catastrophe theory / A. Okninski; [translated from the Polish by Andrzej Przyjazny]. p.cm. - - (Comprehensive chemical kinetics; v. 33) Translation of Teoria katastrof w chemii. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-444-98742-8 1. Chemical reactions, Conditions and laws of. 2. Catastrophies (Mathematics) I. Title. 11. Series. QD50l. B242 vol. 33 541. 3’9 S- -dc20 [541. 3’91
91-28894 CIP
ISBN 0-444-98742-8 Copyright @ by Polish Scientific Publishers PWN Ltd. - Warszawa 1992 All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner Printed in Poland
COMPREHENSIVE CHEMICAL KINETICS
ADVISORY BOARD
Professor C.H. BAMF