Multiplicity distributions in elementary particle physics

As the available centre-of-mass energy increases, the study of multiplicity fluctuations in the products of inelastic collisions of elementary particles has become the study of the largest part of the cross-section. After a few historical remarks on the first investigations on the subject, some examples of successes and failures of the traditional perturbative theory approach in multiparticle dynamics will be illustrated. This will lead to the introduction of phenomenological models, with a presentation of the current status of the field within the Dual String Model and the Clan Model (Clan Structure Analysis), concluding with an outlook on future developments.