Fixed Point Attractors (integer systems):
- Convergence to stable hierarchical configurations
- Resistance to perturbation maintaining status quo
- Limited solution space constraining possibilities
- Discrete state transitions preventing gradual evolution
A fixed point attractor (also called a point attractor) is a single state of the system – a specific point in phase space – that the system converges to and remains at.
In continuous dynamics, this corresponds to a stable equilibrium. For instance, a damped pendulum has a stable fixed-point attractor at the hanging-down position: no matter the initial swing, friction causes the pendulum to settle at the lowest point (the attractor).
Visually, in phase space a stable fixed point is depicted as a dot that nearby trajectories approach asymptotically. In contrast, an unstable fixed point (positive exponents) repels trajectories and is not an attractor.
Behavioral implications: A system with a fixed-point attractor will evolve toward a steady state. Once there, it stays there (e.g. a thermostat reaching a set temperature). Fixed points “compress” dynamics to a single outcome – after transients, all initial conditions in the basin settle to the same value. This makes long-term behavior predictable (but also unchanging) until parameters change.