The role of prominent Soviet physicist B I Davydov in the development of our understanding of diffusion is briefly reviewed, with emphasis on the ideas he put forward in the 1930s: introducing additional partial derivatives into diffusion equations and extending diffusion concepts to phase space.

PACS: 01.65.+g, 05.20.Dd, 52.25.Dg (all) DOI: 10.1070/PU2003v046n03ABEH001289 URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2003/3/d/ 000184112900004 Citation: Bakunin O G "Mysteries of diffusion and labyrinths of destiny" Phys. Usp. 46 309–313 (2003) BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks Оригинал: Бакунин О Г «Загадки диффузии и лабиринты судьбы» УФН 173 317–321 (2003); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0173.200303d.0317