PHASE LOCKING
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 2541 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
The stable dynamic relationship that tends to become established between oscillators of various periods. (also known as phase blockage).
The simplest cases are those wherein periods are equal, or have a simple arithmetical relationship.
It is however possible to think of phase locking in complex interrelations between oscillators of seemingly uncoordinated periods. An example is the progressive and spontaneous synchronization of pendular clocks, discovered by HUYGHENS (17th Century). The American biologist L. MARGULIS discovered various examples of biological synchronization in groups of bacteria and even in the menstrual cycles of women living in more or less secluded groups.
This could be the nexus with a general theory of complex cycles, still to be built, that should explain how cycles of widely different periods become coordinated or embedded.
See also
Order parameter, Slaving principle.