41 Of Monostable and Bistable Modes

Once there is any coupling between any individual coordinating elements, all the basic coupled coordination modes can emerge. The monostable and bistable modes have to do with stable states, represented graphically by the zero or fixed points of the Coordination Law equation. In the monostable mode, under current values of control parameters, only one stable coordination state or fixed point of the Coordination Law equation is present. It’s associated with a close to zero phase relation called inphase or synchronized coordination. In the bistable mode, under current values of control parameters, two stable states or fixed points of the Coordination Law equation coexist. The first one is near zero relative phase corresponding to inphase or synchronization, and a second one near 180 degrees, corresponding to anti-phase or syncopation. Bistability is the simplest example of multistability—the existence of two or more states in a dynamical system for the same values of control parameters.