NONLINEAR MATHEMATICS UFQEFQ-20-3

Exercise Sheet S2/W10: Hopf Bifurcation

(1) By writing the Rayleigh equation x + x
3
x + x = 0 as a rst order
system, show that the origin undergoes a Hopf bifurcation at = 0.
By computing the stability coecient a determine the stability of the
bifurcating branches and sketch the bifurcation diagram. Also sketch
the phase portrait for < 0 and > 0. Use Maple to plot the phase
portraits numerically to conrm your answers. (A downloadable Maple
worksheet is available from my homepage.)
(2) Repeat the above for the Van der Pol equation x + ( x
2
) x + x = 0.
(3) Show that the origin undergoes a Hopf bifurcation at = 0 in the
system
x = (1 + )x y + x
2
xy,
y = 2x y + x
2
.
Determine the stability of the origin in terms of . Assuming that
the bifurcation is non-degenerate, sketch the two possible bifurcation
diagrams. Use Maple to investigate the phase portrait for < 0 and
> 0. Deduce which of the two possible bifurcation diagrams actually
occurs.
(4) Carry out a Hopf bifurcation analysis for the nonlinear oscillator equa-
tion x + x + x + x
3
= 0, showing that the stability coecient a
is zero. By dierentiating with respect to t, show that the function
V (t) = x
2
+ x
2
+
1
2
x
4
is constant along solutions when = 0. Hint:
Recall Q9, Further Exercises p105 in Berry. Hence sketch the phase
portrait when = 0 and sketch the bifurcation diagram. Also sketch
the phase portrait for < 0 and > 0.
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