Node (autonomous system)

The behaviour of a linear autonomous system around a critical point is a node if the following conditions are satisfied:

Each path converges to the or away from the critical point (dependent of the underlying equation) as ${\displaystyle t\rightarrow \infty }$ (or as ${\displaystyle t\rightarrow -\infty }$). Furthermore, each path approaches the point asymptotically through a line.^[1]