publisher's blurb (1975)



René Thom is one of today's leading mathematicians whose interests transcend the world of numbers. His principal fields of concern include not only algebraic topology and differential topology, but also catastrophe theory and its applications, biology (dynamic scheme for vertebrate embryology), linguistics and semantics, and topology and linguistics. Outstanding work in topology and related areas earned for him the Fields Medal (1958), and the L.J. Brouwer Medal, conferred by the Academy of Sciences of the Netherlands (1970). France honored Thom with the Grand Prix Scientifique de la Ville de Paris (1974), and with special citations awarded by the Academy of Sciences, Paris. Professor Thom is a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Brazil and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Warwick (1970).



The author served as "maître de conférences" at the Universities of Grenoble and Strasbourg, and held a professorship at the latter university from 1957 to 1963. Since 1963, Professor Thom has been a member of the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques at Bures-sur-Yvette.

Professor Thom is also the author of a paperback "Méthodes mathématiques de la morphogénèse."



Review of Stabilité structurelle et morphogénèse:
"It is impossible to give a brief description of the impact of this book. In one sense the only book with which it can be compared is Newton's Principia. Both lay out a new conceptual framework for the understanding of nature, and equally both go on to unbounded speculation. From Newton's book, as Truesdell says, `our forebears learned how to use the concept of force given a priori'; and there can be no doubt that from Thom's will come an elaboration which will allow our children to use more precisely the concept of catastrophe that he introduces. Almost all of the speculation in the Principia has turned out to be hopelessly wrong, though it wouid be hard to say to what extent this prevented its being useful at the time. So the criterion for Thom's speculative applications must come from their stimulating character, without trying to prejudge their correctness.
"An English translation is promised . . . but the reader is advised not to wait so long to acquaint himself with a major intellectual advance of the century ."

C.W. Kilmister, The Times Higher Education Supplement



1972 (third printing, with corrections, 1973) 362 pp., illus.,
ISBN 0-805-39629-2

W. A. BENJAMIN, INC. Advanced Book Program Reading, Massachusetts 01867



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