Thermodynamic and Symmetry Aspects of Multiferroic Materials

This contribution is aimed to address the trends in multiferroics research in a broader context of thermodynamics and symmetry theory. This would allow me to remind the conference audience about reflections about the multiferroics and their topological defects by the late Prof. Janovec from our Institute. Finally, I would like to address the incomplete analogy between physics of ferromagnets and ferroelectrics in the context of formation of spatially modulated ferroic phases and skyrmion condensate phases.