  This article reviews recent research on the collective dynamical behavior of
colloids with dipolar or multipolar interactions. Indeed, whereas equilibrium
structures and static self-assembly of such systems are now rather well
understood, the past years have seen an explosion of interest in understanding
dynamicals aspects, from the relaxation dynamics of strongly correlated dipolar
networks over systems driven by time-dependent, electric or magnetic fields, to
pattern formation and dynamical control of active, self-propelled systems.
Unraveling the underlying mechanisms is crucial for a deeper understanding of
self-assembly in and out of equilibrium and the use of such particles as
functional devices. At the same time, the complex dynamics of dipolar colloids
poses challenging physical questions and puts forward their role as model
systems for nonlinear behavior in condensed matter physics. Here we attempt to
give an overview of these developments, with an emphasis on theoretical and
simulation studies.
