Solutions to Quiz 1, Unit 4.

100 200 h
The bifurcation diagram for a differential equation is shown above.

1. Which statement is true when h = 113?

A. There is one stable and one unstable fixed point, and the stable fixed point is larger
than the unstable fixed point.
B. There is one stable and one unstable fixed point, and the stable fixed point is smaller
than the unstable fixed point.
C. There are two unstable fixed points.
D. The differential equation has no fixed points.

Solution: The answer is A. If h is less than around 200, the dynamical system has two
fixed points. The smaller one is unstable and the larger one is stable.

2. Which statement is true when h = 284?

A. There is one stable and one unstable fixed point, and the stable fixed point is larger
than the unstable fixed point.
B. There is one stable and one unstable fixed point, and the stable fixed point is smaller
than the unstable fixed point.
C. There are two unstable fixed points.
D. The differential equation has no fixed points.

1
Solution: The answer is D. For all h values larger than around 200, the function has no
fixed points. All orbits tend toward negative infinity.