Buffer Phenomenon in Nonlinear Physics

The buffer phenomenon is a property of a mathematical model of a nonlinear distributed system to have any predetermined finite number of attractors of the same type (stable equilibrium states, cycles, tori, etc.) for an appropriate choice of its parameters. A rigorous mathematical investigation of the buffer phenomenon has become possible due to the application and development of the apparatus of asymptotic analysis. The buffer property is typical for a wide class of mathematical models that describe many nonlinear processes in physics (radio physics, mechanics, optics, and combustion theory) and are represented by boundary value problems for systems of partial differential equations. The relationship between the buffer phenomenon and the onset of turbulence and dynamical chaos is traced.