Variational study of steady flows stability in incompressible fluids

Using information theory, a new variational principle for incompressible fl uids is derived. This principle is similar to a known plasma stability crit erion which has successfully been applied to study the stability of differe nt steady flows. Its main advantages, when compared to traditional methods, are: (1) to obtain the stability of a given equilibrium, only the equilibr ium configuration is required, and (2) the simplicity of the calculation in volved. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.