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I just read about phase variable-form here.

    Phase variable: A set of state variable where each subsequent state variable
    is defined to be the derivative of the previous state variable

I'm curious about the name. Why is it call phase variable?
How does it relate to phase?

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This is related to the concept of "phase space" which is a multidimensional space where every parameter that can be modified in the description of the system is represented as a dimension in that space. Each point in that multi-dimensional space represents a state in the system such that all possible states are included. As parameters change, the state of the system will move along a trajectory in that phase space, leading to a phase path through that space. The description of "phase" here is analogous to the way we describe matter changing in phase from solid, liquid to gas, another example is the phases of the moon. Here phase represents a change in state rather than the rotation on a complex plane as we would associate it in many signal processing applications.

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  • $\begingroup$ @hana did this answer your question? If not what is still confusing you? $\endgroup$ Apr 19, 2022 at 12:38

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