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A trap

If F(x) represents a function containing a single fixed point we refer to the Feature F(x) as a trap. The simple trap studied here consists of three straight line sections, two of slope m equal to the slope in the larger system containing the Feature, and where

equation59

and the central section of the Feature has slope 0. Of course, in general all that is necessary for the Feature to be a trap is that the magnitude of the central section slope is less than unity, making the fixed point a stable attractor.



D.Jefferies@ee.surrey.ac.uk
May 1997