  Resonant magnetic perturbations (RMP) have extensively been demonstrated as a
plausible technique for mitigating or suppressing large edge localized modes
(ELMs). Associated with this is a substantial amount of theory and modelling
efforts during recent years. Various models describing the plasma response to
the RMP fields have been proposed in the literature, and are briefly reviewed
in this work. Despite their simplicity, linear response models can provide
alternative criteria, than the vacuum field based criteria, for guiding the
choice of the coil configurations to achieve the best control of ELMs. The role
of the edge peeling response to the RMP fields is illustrated as a key
indicator for the ELM mitigation in low collisionality plasmas, in various
tokamak devices.
