Hybrid automaton

In automata theory, a hybrid automaton (plural: hybrid automata or hybrid automatons) is a mathematical model for precisely describing hybrid systems, for instance systems in which digital computational processes interact with analog physical processes. A hybrid automaton is a finite state machine with a finite set of continuous variables whose values are described by a set of ordinary differential equations. This combined specification of discrete and continuous behaviors enables dynamic systems that comprise both digital and analog components to be modeled and analyzed.