Journal profile · Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Chaos Solitons & Fractals
ISSN 0960-0779 · eISSN 1873-2887 · Elsevier Ltd · ENGLAND · Semimonthly · Founded 1991
Chaos Solitons & Fractals: CAS Zone 1 · Mathematics (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 5.59; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,970; review about 72 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: easy (Elsevier website: 27%); 1,688 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Chaos Solitons & Fractals is published by Elsevier Ltd and is in Zone 1 of Mathematics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Nonlinear Dynamics and Pattern Formation, Chaos control and synchronization and Nonlinear Waves and Solitons, together about 27.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Statistical and Nonlinear Physics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
An interdisciplinary journal of nonlinear science.Chaos, Solitons & Fractals aims to be the leading journal in the interdisciplinary field of Nonlinear Science.It encourages the submission of high-quality articles (under the form of short communications, regular papers, and review papers) containing results which have a significant impact on the following subjects:nonlinear dynamics and non-equilibrium processes in physics and applied mathematics;complex matter and networks;biophysics, systems biology and computational biology;fluctuations and random processes;artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data analytics;self-organization and emergent phenomena;applications to social science, engineering and econophysics.The journal can only accept papers whose primary subject area lies within the above Aims & Scope.In particular, please take notice of the following, additional, criteria:In order to be acceptable, manuscripts of more mathematical nature should have a clear and explicit connection to physical insight or new qualitative features. The word "Solitons" should be understood as a label especially extended to all nonlinear integrable systems in complex natural phenomena. The paper should not bear on some explicit formulae, some standard solutions, constructions, or asymptotic methods.The journal is interested in articles providing strong insights in the mathematical theory of fractals that are profound for an important particular application, especially in complex systems. Numerical computations should only assist the developed results.The submitted Manuscripts should contain presentations which are a) of interdisciplinary interest, b) easily accessible also to a non-specialized-audience, and c) written in an excellent English style.Notice that if the above criteria are not fulfilled, submissions may be desk-rejected by the Journal's Editors without being sent to reviewers.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Editor-in-chief Marcel ClercPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 19 in mainland China (about 20%); most named Mainland China 19, United States 17, Italy 16, Russia 8, France 6 (95 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Nonlinear Dynamics and Pattern FormationComputer Science10.7%
- Chaos control and synchronizationPhysics and Astronomy10.6%
- Nonlinear Waves and SolitonsPhysics and Astronomy6.5%
- Nonlinear Photonic SystemsPhysics and Astronomy6.3%
- Fractional Differential Equations SolutionsMathematics5.9%
- Quantum chaos and dynamical systemsPhysics and Astronomy5.9%
- Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology ModelsMedicine5.6%
- stochastic dynamics and bifurcationPhysics and Astronomy5.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Mathematics Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Mathematics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Mathematical | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Mathematics Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Mathematics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Mathematical | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Mathematics Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Mathematics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Mathematical | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 5.59LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 5.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 9.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 9.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.12LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.52LetPub ·
- h-index
- 126LetPub ·
- h-index
- 200OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 9,629OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 6.07OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 14%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 11.86%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,618LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 18,704 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,252 | 393 | 1,060 |
| 2025 | 1,688 | 321 | 8,704 |
| 2024 | 1,430 | 287 | 16,743 |
| 2023 | 1,272 | 287 | 20,698 |
| 2022 | 1,156 | 306 | 23,710 |
| 2021 | 1,040 | 249 | 27,565 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
72 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 10.5 months
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 10.5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 27%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 35 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 72 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 12 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,970 / EUR 3,710 / GBP 3,180 / JPY 492,400 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,140 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers4, by deadline
- Modern Approaches to Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Diseases: Theory, Computation, and ApplicationsDeadline
- Nonlinear Science: From Nonlinear Optics to Semiconductor Lasers and to EcologyDeadline
- Nonlinear Dynamics and Complex Network Theory in Brain Research: From Fundamental Nonlinear Mechanisms to Clinical ApplicationsDeadline
- The mathematics of energy balance models—stochastics, dynamics, data assimilation, and inverse problemsDeadline
What to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Templates
- LaTeX
Article types accepted3
- regular papersIt encourages the submission of high-quality articles (under the form of short communications, regular papers, and review papers)Length not stated
- review papersIt encourages the submission of high-quality articles (under the form of short communications, regular papers, and review papers)Length not stated
- short communicationsIt encourages the submission of high-quality articles (under the form of short communications, regular papers, and review papers)Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Publishing ethics policy Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1991
- ISSN
- 0960-0779
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-2887
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Chaos Solitons & Fractals
What CAS zone is Chaos Solitons & Fractals in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Chaos Solitons & Fractals is in Zone 1 of Mathematics, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications / Physics, Mathematical / Physics, Multidisciplinary; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Mathematics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Chaos Solitons & Fractals?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 5.59; CiteScore 9.5, h-index 200.
How long does peer review take at Chaos Solitons & Fractals?
The publisher reports about 72 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 10.5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy (Elsevier website: 27%)”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Chaos Solitons & Fractals?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Templates: LaTeX. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Chaos Solitons & Fractals based?
Of the 95 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 19 (about 20%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (19), United States (17) and Italy (16). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Chaos Solitons & Fractals?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Chaos Solitons & Fractals is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Chaos Solitons & Fractals open access, and what is the APC?
Chaos Solitons & Fractals is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,970.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .