Stability

The word stability has a number of technical meanings, all related to the common meaning of the word.

• In mechanics, stability characterizes the result of small perturbations to a system in mechanical equilibrium.
• In system analysis and signal processing, stability means either:
  • BIBO (Bounded Input, Bounded Output) stability
  • Lyapunov stability
• In control theory, stability characterizes the reaction of a dynamic system to external influences.
• In numerical analysis, stability refers to how well an algorithm performs with regard to error in the numerical results: see numerical stability.
• In everyday conversation about computers, stability is the tendency or otherwise of a system or program to crash.
• In Meteorology stability in the air relates to vertical movements of air parcels.
• On a boat it refers to the righting moment, and the resistance of the boat to capsize.
• In sociology, stability refers to social stability .

See also homeostasis.

The term stable may be used in any of these contexts as an adjective: as a noun it also means a building designed for horses (see stable).