  Analyzing simulated extensive air shower (EAS) events generated with the
Monte Carlo code CORSIKA, this paper critically studies the characteristics of
lateral distribution of electrons in EAS around the knee energy region of the
energy spectrum of primary cosmic rays. The study takes into account the issue
of lateral shower age parameter as indicator of the stage of development of
showers in the atmosphere. The correlation of lateral shower age parameter with
other EAS observables is examined, using simulated data in the context of its
possible use in a multi-parameter study of EAS, with a view to obtaining
information about the nature of the shower initiating primaries at sea level
EAS experiments. It is shown that the observed slope of the lateral density
function in the 3-dimensional plot at least for the KASCADE data supports the
idea of a transition from light to heavy mass composition around the knee.
