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Here is a statement from Hayt "Engineering Circuit Analysis" 8th edition, page 124.

"By a 'linear voltage-current relationship' we simply mean that multiplication of the current through the element by a constant K results in the multiplication of the voltage across the element by the same constant K"

It follows by the example.

"The dependent voltage source \$v_s = 0.6i_1 - 14v_2\$ is linear, but \$v_s = 0.6i_{1}^{2}\$ and \$v_s = 0.6i_1 v_2\$ are not."

I disagree that \$v_s = 0.6i_1 - 14v_2\$ is linear, simply because if we multiply \$i_1\$ by K, it will not result in multiplication of \$v_s\$ by K.

Also I disagree that \$v_s = 0.6i_1 v_2\$ is not linear. Multiplication by K will flow through the equation.

What am I missing?

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    \$\begingroup\$ From the mathematical point of view, the Vs = 0.6I1 - 14V2 is a linear equation. And Vs=0.6I1V2 is a nonlinear equation. And you wrongly interpreted the author's definition. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 12, 2024 at 18:44
  • \$\begingroup\$ I guess I missed that by linearity author meant linearity in both variables. I somehow focused only on current \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 13, 2024 at 16:49

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A system is linear if it satisfies two basic principles:

1. Homogeneity (or scaling): If an input \$x_1\$ produces an output \$y_1\$, then an input \$x_2 = \text{K}x_1\$ (where \$\text{K}\$ is a constant) leads to an output \$y_2 = \text{K}y_1\$

2. Additivity If each input \$x_i (i=1, 2,...,n)\$ acting INDIVIDUALLY produces an output \$y_i (i=1, 2,..,\text{n})\$, then an input \$x = x_1 + x_2 + ... + x_n\$ will produce an output \$y = y_1 + y_2 + ... + y_n\$

The two principles can be combined into one, the principle of Superposition:

If each input \$x_i (i=1, 2,...,n)\$ acting INDIVIDUALLY produces an output \$y_i (i=1, 2,.., \text{n})\$, then an input \$x = \text{K}_1x_1 + \text{K}_2x_2 + ... + \text{K}_nx_n\$ will produce an output \$y = \text{K}_1y_1 + \text{K}_2y_2 + ... + \text{K}_ny_n\$, where each \$\text{K}_i (i = 1, 2, ..., \text{n})\$ is a constant.

Therefore:

(A) The system \$v_s = 0.6i_1 - 14v_2\$ satisfies all the principles mentioned above, therefore it is linear. For example, the principle of homogeneity: If the input \$i_1\$ acting alone leads to the output \$v_s'=0.6i_1\$ then the input \$\text{K}i_1\$ acting alone leads to the output \$v_s''=\text{K}0.6i_1\$.

But none of those principles state that, if only \$i_1\$ is multiplied by \$\text{K}\$, the entire expression for \$v_s = 0.6i_1 - 14v_2\$ is multiplied by \$\text{K}\$. So, I think you have mixed up superposition with homogeneity here.

(B) The system \$v_s=0.6i_1v_2\$ is not linear because, when applying additivity, for example, \$i_1=2 \space \text{A}\$, when considered individually, results in an partial output \$v'_s=0 \space \text{V}\$ (since \$v_2=0 \space \text{V}\$, in this case). Similarly, \$v_2=3 \space \text{V}\$, when consideres individually, results in a partial output \$v''_s = \space 0 \space \text{V}\$ (since \$i_1= 0 \space \text{A}\$ in this case). Then, final \$v_s\$ should be \$ 0 \space \text{V}\$, which does not match the real \$v_s=0.6\times 2 \times 3 = 3.6 \space \text{V}\$. For example, if \$v_2\$ were a constant (not an input), something like \$V_2\$, that wouldn't be a problem.

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By "the voltage across the element" the statement is referring to the element described by 0.6*i1, not vs. (0.6*i1) will increase by a factor of K when i1 increases by a factor of K, therefore it has a linear voltage-current relationship. vs is linear because it is characterized by a linear combination of elements that have linear voltage-current relationships.

As for vs=0.6*i1*v2, the product of two variables is inherently nonlinear. My fundamental understanding of why this is is admittedly foggy so hopefully someone else can explain why, but linearity is generally limited to linear combinations of variables (ie addition).

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    \$\begingroup\$ The important reason that the product of two variables is nonlinear, is that there is no matrix representation that develops such a product; linear equations in electronics are commonly handled by matrix methods, and such terms are foreign to the scheme. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 12, 2024 at 19:18

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