Chaos. 2025 Jul 1;35(7):073151. doi: 10.1063/5.0254960.
ABSTRACT
The now generally accepted eponym “Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction” for a specific type of chemical nonlinear system was not used immediately. It evolved over time from the simple name “Belousov reaction” through combinations using one, two, or three scientists’ names to the nowadays accepted name “Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction.” The scientists’ names used in these eponyms in the last 50 years were Boris Belousov, Art Winfree, Albert Zaikin, and Anatol Zhabotinsky. We present the development of this decades-long journey and discuss the reasons for the inclusion of the two scientists and the exclusion of others. In addition, we present the myriad of spellings of the eponymous name “Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction” used in the last 50+ years, systematically discuss possible reasons for these name variations, and, whenever possible, offer a linguistic explanation for variations.
PMID:40737693 | DOI:10.1063/5.0254960
