Chemical reaction network structure and the stability of complex isothermal reactors—I. The deficiency zero and deficiency one theorems

The dynamics of complex isothermal reactors are studied in general terms with special focus on connections between reaction network structure and the capacity of the corresponding differential equations to admit unstable behavior. As in some earlier work, the principal results rely on a classification of reaction networks by means of an easily computed non-negative integer index called the deficiency. This index often provides nontrivial information about the kind of dynamics that can be expected. Part of the previously reported Deficiency Zero Theorem is substantially generalized by the Deficiency One Theorem. The foundation is laid for a companion article containing a theory of multiple steady states generated by reaction networks of deficiency one.