(Scientific comPUtation) A property of a system whose outPUt is not proportional to its inPUt. For example, a transistor has a region of inPUt voltages for which its outPUt voltage is found by multiplying the inPUt voltage by the gain of the transistor. Outside this region though, the transistor behaves non-linearly, meaning that it does not obey this simple equation. The behaviour of a system containing non-linear components is thus harder to model and to predict. [Jargon File]