The paper by Robert C. Kennicutt, Jr. investigates the global star formation law in star-forming galaxies, combining measurements of Hα, HI, and CO distributions in 61 normal spiral galaxies with far-infrared and CO observations of 36 infrared-selected starburst galaxies. The disk-averaged star formation rates (SFRs) and gas densities are well represented by a Schmidt law with an index \( N = 1.4 \pm 0.15 \). An alternative formulation of the star formation law, where the SFR scales with the ratio of gas density to the average orbital timescale, also fits the data well. Both formulations provide useful "recipes" for modeling SFR in numerical simulations of galaxy formation and evolution. The study extends the range of observed SFRs and gas densities, from quiescent gas-poor disks to nuclear starbursts, and shows that the Schmidt law can be applied over a wide range of conditions. The paper discusses the physical interpretation of these findings and highlights the limitations and implications for galaxy evolution models.The paper by Robert C. Kennicutt, Jr. investigates the global star formation law in star-forming galaxies, combining measurements of Hα, HI, and CO distributions in 61 normal spiral galaxies with far-infrared and CO observations of 36 infrared-selected starburst galaxies. The disk-averaged star formation rates (SFRs) and gas densities are well represented by a Schmidt law with an index \( N = 1.4 \pm 0.15 \). An alternative formulation of the star formation law, where the SFR scales with the ratio of gas density to the average orbital timescale, also fits the data well. Both formulations provide useful "recipes" for modeling SFR in numerical simulations of galaxy formation and evolution. The study extends the range of observed SFRs and gas densities, from quiescent gas-poor disks to nuclear starbursts, and shows that the Schmidt law can be applied over a wide range of conditions. The paper discusses the physical interpretation of these findings and highlights the limitations and implications for galaxy evolution models.