An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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Physics: A → dynamical system whose evolution is a linear process. If a change in any variable at some initial time produces a change in the same or some other variable at some later time, twice as large a change at the same initial time will produce twice as large a change at the same later time.

→ linear; → system.

A system in which small changes can result in large effects, and large changes in small effects.

→ nonlinear; → system.

An optical system that is corrected for → distortion and → spherical aberration and therefore forms the image of a straight line as a straight line.

→ rectilinear; → system.