Thermodynamics and Chemistry of the Early Universe
  The interplay between chemistry and thermodynamics determines the final
outcome of the process of gravitational collapse and sets the conditions for
the formation of the first cosmological objects, including primordial
supermassive black holes. In this chapter, we will review the main chemical
reactions and the most important heating/cooling processes taking place in a
gas of primordial composition, including the effects of local and cosmological
radiation backgrounds.
