A switching device is one where the non-linearity is utilised to produce two opposite states. CMOS devices in digital circuits, for instance, have their output connected to either the positive or the negative supply rail and are never found at anything in between except during a transient period when the device is switching. Here the non-linearity is designed to be extreme, and the analyst can take advantage of that fact. These kinds of networks can be analysed using Boolean algebra by assigning the two states ("on"/"off", "positive"/"negative" or whatever states are being used) to the boolean constants "0" and "1".