Factorsaltered

Factorsaltered is a concept used in systems analysis to describe a state in which the set of factors governing a system's behavior has been changed from a baseline. It denotes instances where external inputs, internal parameters, or regulatory constraints shift, leading to a different dynamic regime or outcome.

Conceptual framework: Consider a dynamical system described by x' = f(x, p). The vector p comprises factors that influence dynamics. A factorsaltered event occurs when p(t) transitions from a baseline p0 to an altered state p1, such that the system's qualitative behavior changes (e.g., a different attractor, stability, or regime). The extent of alteration can be characterized by thresholds or distance measures in factor space.

Detection and analysis: In practice, factorsaltered is identified via change-point analysis, regime-switching models, or Bayesian inference, which partition time into periods with distinct factor configurations. Data sources include time series of state variables and measurements of the factors themselves.

Applications: The concept is used across disciplines, including ecology (climate- or disturbance-induced shifts), economics (policy or market regime changes), engineering (operational mode shifts), and biology (transcriptional regulatory networks responding to signals).

Relation to related concepts: It is related to regime change, structural breaks, and parameter estimation under nonstationarity, as well as to change-point detection in time-series analysis and to factor analysis when interpreting latent factors.

See also: regime change, change-point detection, regime-switching model, nonstationarity, factor analysis.