Logical identification of all steady states: The concept of feedback loop characteristic states (Q688424)

Biological regulatory systems can be described in terms of nonlinear differential equations or in logical terms (using an ``infinitely nonlinear approximation''). Until recently only part of the steady states of a system could be identified on logical grounds. The core of this paper is a formal demonstration that among the singular steady states of a system, only loop-characteristic states can be steady. Reciprocally, given a loop-characteristic state, there are parameter values for which this state is steady; in this case the loop is effective.