Special Session 68: (In)Stability and the long time behaviour of fluid flows

Nonlinear stability and nonequilibrium thermodynamics---there and back again

Vit Prusa
Charles University
Czech Rep
Co-Author(s):    
Abstract:
We discuss the role of thermodynamics in nonlinear stability analysis of spatially distributed dissipative systems governed by nonlinear partial differential equations. We document profound interplay between various concepts in thermodynamics on one side and nonlinear stability analysis on the other side, and subsequently we summarise and comment on various results regarding the nonlinear stability of thermodynamically isolated as well as thermodynamically open systems.