For small perturbations about an equilibrium, terms of higher order than linear may be considered negligible (see linearization). Small angles θ, that a simple pendulum makes about the vertical, satisfy ; this is SHM, which has small bounded trigonometric solutions, and so θ = 0 is a stable equilibrium. For θ = π + ε, that is, small perturbations about the upward vertical, we have
which has unbounded exponential solutions, and so θ = π is an unstable equilibrium.
Linearizing about (0,0,0), the three equations governing the Lorenz attractor give
where α,β,γ > 0. So r(t) = (x(t), y(t),z(t))T satisfies
If the matrix has distinct real eigenvalues λ1,λ2,λ3 with eigenvectors v1,v2,v3, then the solution is
This is a small bounded solution if λ1,λ2,λ3 are all negative; so the origin is stable when β<1.