Generalized Circuit Elements

The structural analysis, i.e., the investigation of the differential-algebraic nature, of circuits containing simple elements, i.e., resistances, inductances and capacitances is well established. However, nowadays circuits contain all sorts of elements, e.g. behavioral models or partial differential equations stemming from refined device modelling. This paper proposes the definition of generalized circuit elements which may for example contain additional internal degrees of freedom, such that those elements still behave structurally like resistances, inductances and capacitances. Several complex examples demonstrate the relevance of those definitions.