Unified theory of explosions, cool flames and two-stage ignitions. Part 1

A previous chain-thermal theory involving one intermediate is generalized to any number of intermediates. The critical condition for non-oscillatory stable steady states is reducible to a tangency condition, thus enabling thermal diagrams to be used even with complex chemistry, provided a properly defined heat release rate curve is used. The critical condition for an oscillatory stable steady state is of an entirely new type (in explosion theory) not reducible to a tangency condition.