GAIN

Charles François (2004). GAIN, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 1379.

Collection	International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics
Year	2004
Vol. (num.)	2(1)
ID	◀ 1379 ▶
Object type	Methodology or model

The increase of a process or function resulting of the action of a positive amplification device.

Gain is basically a term adapted from engineering control theory. If the positive feedback maintains itself without any countervailing negative one, it amplifies and accelerates the process, ending up in a runaway event, which may easily destroy the affected system.

For the opposite, see “damping”