Paper 3, Section II, B

Dynamical Systems
Part II, 2015

Consider the dynamical system

x˙=μ+x2yy˙=y(ax)\begin{aligned} &\dot{x}=-\mu+x^{2}-y \\ &\dot{y}=y(a-x) \end{aligned}

where aa is to be regarded as a fixed real constant and μ\mu as a real parameter.

Find the fixed points of the system and determine the stability of the system linearized about the fixed points. Hence identify the values of μ\mu at given aa where bifurcations occur.

Describe informally the concepts of centre manifold theory and apply it to analyse the bifurcations that occur in the above system with a=1a=1. In particular, for each bifurcation derive an equation for the dynamics on the extended centre manifold and hence classify the bifurcation.

What can you say, without further detailed calculation, about the case a=0a=0 ?