Abstract
The stability of stationary thermodynamic states will be examined by means of a variation principle. The Euler-Lagrange equations, existing as the necessary condition of the extremum, provide the total stationary balance equation of the entropy production where — beside the spontaneous entropy production — the source terms also appear. This method is equally suitable for describing stable and unstable stationary states, moreover it contains the total stationariness. It will be shown that the stability of the stationary equilibrium is secured by the positive definite character of the conductivity matrix. Applying this principle for the interaction of homogeneous bodies we get the simplest model and stability criteria for stationariness.
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