Nonlinearity, multistability, and fluctuations: Reviewing the reviewers

Abstract

Mathematicians, physicists, and physical chemists have generated a number of viewpoints related to systems with nonlinearity, multistability, and fluctuations. The viewpoints tend to be characterized by slogans generated by the respective advocates, e.g., Catastrophe Theory, Dissipative Structures, and Synergetics. The advocates also usually stress the applicability of their work to biology and to self-organization. Have the discussions in the semipopular and broader technical journals served to give proper guidance to the outsider through their assessment of these viewpoints? We discuss this, with particular emphasis on book reviews.