Conditions affecting stability in electric lighting circuits

The term stability in this paper refers to that condition in which the current or potential, or both, remain at a steady value. Instability implies fluctuation which may arise from internal causes or be provoked by slight changes; and the fluctuations so arising may tend to be perpetuated automatically. An example of such action is the well known “surging” in series arc-light circuits, which in the early days of development often became a difficulty.