Mathematical functions for the representation of chromatographic peaks

About ninety empirical functions for the representation of chromatographic peaks have been collected and tabulated. The table, based on almost 200 ref erences, reports for every function: (1) the most used name; (2) the most c onvenient equation, with the existence intervals for the adjustable paramet ers and for the independent variable; (3) the applications; (4) the mathema tical properties, in relation to the possible applications. The list includ es also equations originally proposed to represent peaks obtained in other analytical techniques (e.g. in spectroscopy), which in many instances have proved useful in representing chromatographic peaks as well; the built-in f unctions employed in some commercial peak-fitting software packages were in cluded, too. Some of the most important chromatographic functions, i.e. the Exponentially Modified Gaussian, the Poisson, the Log-normal, the Edgewort h/Cramer series and the Gram/Charlier series, have been reviewed and commen ted in more detail. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.