4.3. Difference equations and phase diagrams
A difference equation is any equation that contains a difference of a variable. The classification within the difference equations depends on the following factors.
- • Order of the equation. The order of the equation is the highest order of difference contained in the equation. A first-order difference equation only contains the first difference of a variable between two consecutive periods, like y(t + 1) − y(t). A second-order difference equation also contains the second difference in a variable between every two successive time periods, like y(t + 2) − y(t).
- • Autonomous versus nonautonomous: a difference equation is said to be autonomous if it does not depend on time ...
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