Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2005/iii/paper-65/3/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 65 3 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Take the leading real field to be . A spatial translation gives ; a time translation gives ; spatial reflection exchanges and .
For a monomial in the first amplitude equation, covariance requires and . Hence , . At linear order only is allowed, no quadratic monomial satisfies these conditions, and the cubic possibilities are and . Reflection fixes the coefficients in the second equation. Removing the small common linear frequency correction by a rotating frame makes real. This derives the two cubic amplitude equations, rather than merely postulating them.
Let , . Taking real parts givesA travelling wave has , or its reflection, whenever . Its phase evolves at , shifting the physical oscillation frequency. The nonzero-amplitude radial eigenvalue is , while the absent mode has real growth rate . Therefore, on the supercritical side,The phase direction is neutral because of the symmetry, so stability means orbital stability. A branch with is radially unstable, whatever the transverse coefficient.
A standing wave has . Its two phases evolve together at ; the relative phase fixes the spatial position of the standing pattern. In the two intensity directions the eigenvalues are and . ThusAgain the symmetry phases are neutral and the conclusion is orbital stability. Equality leaves a continuum of mixed intensities at cubic order; equality removes cubic standing-wave saturation. These degeneracies require higher-order terms and cannot be classified by the cubic truncation. The zero state is linearly stable for and unstable for .
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