Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2002/iii/paper-56/2/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2002 iii Paper 56 2 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The first equation factors as and the second gives at an equilibrium. HenceThe two nonzero branches exist for , coincide at equality, and the lower branch coincides with the origin at . For both are in ; for , has and has .
At the origin, the eigenvalues are . At any nonzero equilibrium , using givesThus is a saddle equilibrium for , and a sink equilibrium for when it lies in the negative half-plane. The upper branch has positive determinant and is stable for , unstable for . These statements include the existence and stability information needed for the subsequent diagrams.
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