A1.6

Dynamics of Differential Equations
Part II, 2003

(i) State and prove Dulac's Criterion for the non-existence of periodic orbits in R2\mathbb{R}^{2}. Hence show (choosing a weighting factor of the form xαyβx^{\alpha} y^{\beta} ) that there are no periodic orbits of the equations

x˙=x(26x25y2),y˙=y(3+10x2+3y2)\dot{x}=x\left(2-6 x^{2}-5 y^{2}\right), \quad \dot{y}=y\left(-3+10 x^{2}+3 y^{2}\right)

(ii) State the Poincaré-Bendixson Theorem. A model of a chemical reaction (the Brusselator) is defined by the second order system

x˙=ax(1+b)+x2y,y˙=bxx2y\dot{x}=a-x(1+b)+x^{2} y, \quad \dot{y}=b x-x^{2} y

where a,ba, b are positive parameters. Show that there is a unique fixed point. Show that, for a suitable choice of p>0p>0, trajectories enter the closed region bounded by x=p,y=b/px=p, y=b / p, x+y=a+b/px+y=a+b / p and y=0y=0. Deduce that when b>1+a2b>1+a^{2}, the system has a periodic orbit.