MA 2930, Feb 23, 2011 Worksheet 5

1. Stability of critical points

For each of the following autonomous equations nd its critical points, determine if they are stable/unstable/semi-stable, and draw the phase line as well as qualitative sketches of representative solutions. (1) dy/dt = y 2 (y 1)(y 2) (2) dy/dt = (1 + y 2 ) arctan y 2 (3) dy/dt = ey 2 (4) dy/dt = sin2 y (1) Critical points are the values of y for which dy/dt = 0. Clearly they are y = 0, 1 and 2 in this case. To determine their stability we can either look at the sign of dy/dt on either side of them, or calculate f (y) and look at its sign at the critical point. Here the rst method is easy to apply. If y < 0 (say y = 1), y > 0. If 0 < y < 1 (say y = 0.5), y > 0 as well. So y = 0 is a semi-stable critical point: from below it attracts, but from above it repels. If 1 < y < 2, y < 0. So y = 1 is stable. It attracts the ow from either side. If y > 2, y > 0. So y = 2 is unstable. The system ows away from it on either side. Ill let you draw the phase line etc. because I dont have a program for drawing pictures! (2) Critical points are where (1+y 2 ) arctan y = 0, i.e., where arctan y = 0, i.e., y = 0. It is clearly unstable because (1 + y 2 ) > 0 always, whereas y < 0 if arctan y < 0 and y > 0 if arctan y > 0. 2 (3) Critical points are where ey = 2, i.e., y 2 = ln 2, i.e., y = ln 2. 2 To determine stability lets use (y) = 2yey . f When y = ln 2, f (y) = 2 ln 2eln 2 = 4 ln 2 < 0. So y(t) has a minimum there, and therefore, y = ln 2 is an unstable critical point.

 When y = ln 2, f (y) = 2 ln 2eln 2 = 4 ln 2 < 0. So y(t) has a maximum there, and therefore, y = ln 2 is an stable critical point. (4) Critical points are where sin2 y = 0, i.e., sin y = 0, i.e., y = n where n is any integer. Since sin2 y is positive except at the critical points, it is clear that all the critical points are semi-stable - attracting from below and repelling from above.

2. Population growth models

You have seen four models of population growth: exponential, logistic, threshold and logistic-with-threshold. Make a comparison chart containing the differential equation, the phase line and a solutions sketch for each of them. What would happen over time to the population in each of the four models above if the starting population is (a) very small, (b) very large? It should be easy for you to prepare the chart possibly after consulting the book. Ill only note that if the population starts out close to 0, itll grow in the exponential and logistic models, but decline in the other two. If the starting population is suciently large, itll grow further in the exponential and threshold models and decline in the other two.

3. Sustainable harvesting
Consider the population y of a species of tuna whose growth would obey the logistic model if it were left alone, but it is being harvested at a rate proportional to its population all the time. The resulting model is dy/dt = r(1 y/K)y Ey (a) What are equilibrium populations if (i) E > r, (ii) E < r? Are they stable or unstable? Draw the phase lines in each case. (b) A sustainable yield Y is a rate at which sh can be caught indenitely. It is the product of E and the stable equilibrium population ye . Find Y and determine the value of E for which Y is maximum. (a) To nd the equilibrium populations we solve for critical points of the 2

equation: dy/dt = r(1 y/K)y Ey = 0, so y1 = 0 and y2 = K(1 E/r) are the two equilibria. If E > r, y2 is negative which is not physical meaningful, so in that case there is only one equilibrium: y1 = 0. (If E = r, y2 = 0 = y1 as well.) If E < r, y2 is positive, so we have a dierent and physically meaningful equilibrium population. If E > r y1 = 0 is a stable equilibrium, whereas in case E < r, y1 is unstable whereas y2 is stable as is easy to check. It all makes eminent sense if you keep in mind that r is the growth rate of sh whereas E is the rate at which it is harvested. If the rate of harvesting exceeds the growth rate, the stock dwindles down to zero no matter how large the initial population. If the rate of harvesting is below the growth rate, however, a sustainable non-zero equilibrium population is possible. (b) Assuming E < r, ye = K(1 E/r). So Y = EK(1 E/r). dY /dE = K(1 E/r) + EK(1/r) = K (2K/r)E, so E = r/2 is a critical point. It is easy to check that it maximizes the yield Y . So the rate of harvesting should be kept half of the growth rate to achieve maximum sustainable yield, Ymax = 0.5EK.

4. Bifurcation diagram
Consider the family of equations dy/dt = y(k y 2 ) in which k is regarded as a parameter. Draw the phase lines of the equations as a function of k. For k < 0, y = 0 is the only critical point and it is stable (because k y 2 is always negative in this case.) For k > we acquire two more 0 critical points: y = k. Now, y = k 3y 2 . y ( k) = 2k 0, so y = k is stable. (0) = k > 0, so y = 0 is < y unstable. Finally, y ( k) = 2k < 0, so y = k is stable. With this information it should be easy for you to draw the phase line as a function of k. Note that at the parameter value k = 0 the nature of the phase line changes dramatically. One says that a bifurcation occurs at k = 0, that or k = 0 is a bifurcation point.