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The simplest kind of an orbit is a fixed point, or an equilibrium. If a mechanical system is in a stable equilibrium state then a small push will result in a localized motion, for example, small oscillations as in the case of a pendulum. In a system with damping, a stable equilibrium state is moreover asymptotically stable. On the other hand ...
The potential energy is at a local maximum, which means that the system is in an unstable equilibrium state. If the system is displaced an arbitrarily small distance from the equilibrium state, the forces of the system cause it to move even farther away. Diagram of a ball placed in a stable equilibrium. Second derivative > 0
A ball located at this point, ball 3, is in equilibrium but unstable; the slightest disturbance will cause it to move to one of the stable points. Light switch, a bistable mechanism. In a dynamical system, bistability means the system has two stable equilibrium states. [1] A bistable structure can be resting in either of two states.
A typical example of a differential equation with a saddle-node bifurcation is: = +. Here is the state variable and is the bifurcation parameter.. If < there are two equilibrium points, a stable equilibrium point at and an unstable one at +.
Many, but not all, biochemical pathways evolve to stable, steady states. As a result, the steady state represents an important reference state to study. This is also related to the concept of homeostasis, however, in biochemistry, a steady state can be stable or unstable such as in the case of sustained oscillations or bistable behavior.
In a dynamical system, multistability is the property of having multiple stable equilibrium points in the vector space spanned by the states in the system. By mathematical necessity, there must also be unstable equilibrium points between the stable points.
Stable equilibrium can refer to: Homeostasis, a state of equilibrium used to describe organisms; Mechanical equilibrium, a state in which all particles in a system are at rest, and total force on each particle is permanently zero; Balance of nature, a theory in ecological science; Stability theory, a theory in mathematics
This is equivalent to the difference between stable and unstable equilibria. In the case of a marble on top of an inverted bowl (a hill), that point at the top of the bowl (hill) is a fixed point (equilibrium), but not an attractor (unstable equilibrium).