Complex and detailed balancing of chemical reaction networks revisited

Abstract

The characterization of the notions of complex and detailed balancing for mass action kinetics chemical reaction networks is revisited from the perspective of algebraic graph theory, in particular Kirchhoff’s Matrix Tree theorem for directed weighted graphs. This yields an elucidation of previously obtained results, in particular with respect to the Wegscheider conditions, and a new necessary and sufficient condition for complex balancing, which can be verified constructively.