Monday, September 22, 2008

Transcritical Bifurcations

Main Results
A transcritical bifurcation is one in which the fixed points never disappear (as was the case with saddle-node) but instead they change their stability.  For example, if xdot=rx-x^2, then for r<0>0, the fixed point at the origin is unstable and the one at x*=r is now stable.  An exchange of stabilities has occured.

Challenges
I had no trouble understanding the idea of a transcritical bifurcations but example 3.2.1 lost me when it was showing that the system undergoes a transcritical bifurcation.

Reflections
I noticed that the bifurcation diagram for the normal form of a transcritical bifurcation is linear, and I was wondering if all diagrams of transcritical bifurcations were linear.  Just a thought.  Thanks for the help during office hours today.

No comments: