Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques, and Equipment

Nonlinear Dynamics

The study of systems which respond disproportionately (nonlinearly) to initial conditions or perturbing stimuli. Nonlinear systems may exhibit chaos which is classically characterized as sensitive dependence on initial conditions. Chaotic systems, while distinguished from more ordered periodic systems, are not random. When their behavior over time is appropriately displayed (in phase space), constraints are evident which are described by strange attractors. Phase space representations of chaotic systems, or strange attractors, usually reveal fractal (FRACTALS) self-similarity across time scales. Natural, including biological, systems often display nonlinear dynamics and chaos.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

The study of systems which respond disproportionately (nonlinearly) to initial conditions or perturbing stimuli. Nonlinear systems may exhibit chaos which is classically characterized as sensitive dependence on initial conditions. Chaotic systems, while distinguished from more ordered periodic systems, are not random. When their behavior over time is appropriately displayed (in phase space), constraints are evident which are described by strange attractors. Phase space representations of chaotic systems, or strange attractors, usually reveal fractal (FRACTALS) self-similarity across time scales. Natural, including biological, systems often display nonlinear dynamics and chaos.

MeSH Record

Classification

Related Concepts

Knowledge Graph

Loading graph…

Drag nodes to rearrange; hover to trace links; click a node to open its page.

MeSH Record

See Also

MeSH Record

Synonyms

19 entry terms
  • Non-linear Dynamics
  • Dynamics, Non-linear
  • Dynamics, Nonlinear
  • Non linear Dynamics
  • Non-linear Dynamic
  • Nonlinear Dynamic
  • Chaos Theory
  • Models, Nonlinear
  • Non-linear Models
  • Chaos Theories
  • Model, Non-linear
  • Model, Nonlinear
  • Models, Non-linear
  • Non linear Models
  • Non-linear Model
  • Nonlinear Model
  • Nonlinear Models
  • Theories, Chaos
  • Theory, Chaos

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

1 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings history.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

a math principle applied to theoret models

MeSH Record

History Note

94

MeSH Record

Previous Indexing

  • Mathematics (1974-1993)
  • Models, Biological (1970-1993)

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Numbers

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Nonlinear Dynamics. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D017711. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D017711
  2. Nonlinear Dynamics. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonlinear_dynamics
  3. Nonlinear Dynamics. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1985198