Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2011/ii/paper-3/14c/iii/solution

At an interior equilibrium point, , so
For both values satisfy , giving two physical equilibria. At such an equilibrium,
The branch is asymptotically stable by the trace-determinant stability criterion; is a saddle equilibrium. In fact is symmetric, so the stable branch has two negative real eigenvalues.
At the equilibria merge at . Writing , the equilibrium condition is , the characteristic branch geometry of a saddle-node bifurcation. The stable node and saddle annihilate as increases through .

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