Küllastusfunktsioon

Küllastusfunktsioon, also known as a saturation function or clamp function, is a mathematical concept used in various fields, particularly in electronics, signal processing, and neural networks. It describes a function whose output value is limited to a certain range, typically between a minimum and maximum value. When the input to the function exceeds these bounds, the output remains at the maximum or minimum value, respectively.

In electronics, saturation functions are relevant when describing the behavior of components like transistors or operational amplifiers. For instance, an amplifier is said to be saturated when its output voltage reaches the power supply rails and cannot increase or decrease further, regardless of changes in the input signal. This saturation limits the dynamic range of the signal.

In signal processing, saturation functions can be used to prevent clipping or distortion by ensuring that signal amplitudes stay within acceptable limits. This is crucial for maintaining signal integrity.

In the context of artificial neural networks, saturation functions are employed as activation functions in neurons. Common examples include the sigmoid and tanh functions, which map any real-valued input to an output between 0 and 1 (sigmoid) or -1 and 1 (tanh). While not strictly "clamping" in the same way as a hard saturation, these functions exhibit a saturating behavior where the output changes very little for very large positive or negative inputs, effectively limiting the neuron's response. This saturation can help in controlling the flow of information and in gradient-based learning. The choice of saturation function depends on the specific application and desired properties of the system.