Perturbation and Transients
Construct Definition
All things change some we may not notice (like a rock/mountain) and tend to detect any statistically average properties (think of air- it comprises molecules in constant motion, yet we only detect this by changes in wind pressures). All things change it's only the speed of change that varies. Our limited perceptions tend to mislead us into thinking of these to be static. The changes in systems can be measured in terms of "Perturbation" (influence) example the "transients" (time during which something happens). There are some tools to measure stability in systems. Think of a set of dominoes set upright in a row, almost touching. If we nudge the first domino, it will start off a series that affect each domino until they all fall over. The nudge to set off the first domino is called the "perturbation". The transient is the time / length it takes for all dominoes to settle in to a "steady state". This applies to all systems (buildings for example require short transient length in the event of earthquakes). Situations do arise when the opposite are true i.e. long or even infinite transients (example air molecules always in motion and never return to exactly the same state i.e. chaotic).