Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2019/ii/paper-3/31e/a/solution

For , take the Logarithmic first integral of the Lotka-Volterra equations
Along a trajectory,
Thus is a first integral. The scalar function is nonnegative for , vanishes only at , and tends to infinity as or . Moreover,
is positive definite, so is strictly convex. It follows that is its unique critical point and every level set is a compact smooth simple closed curve in the positive quadrant. The vector field is nonzero on such a level curve, so uniqueness of solutions makes each connected level curve one periodic orbit. The zero level consists of the fixed point . Hence every trajectory in is either periodic or the fixed point .

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