Pupil Light Reflex: Delays and Oscillations

Abstract

For the experimentalist, the analysis of “real-life” dynamical systems is problematic. The obvious strategy of comparing prediction to observation by varying a control parameter is faced by the practical issues of first identifying the relevant control parameter(s) and then devising ways to alter it. Furthermore, all real systems are continually subjected to the influence of random, uncontrolled fluctuations, herein referred to as “noise.” The observed dynamics reflect the interplay between noise and the intrinsic dynamics of the system. Finally, the possibility that a dynamical system can generate very complex time series necessitates a careful consideration of the way in which we measure the data.