Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2008 ii Paper 4 14A Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
For a flow, a hyperbolic fixed point has no eigenvalue of its linearization with zero real part; a nonhyperbolic fixed point has at least one such eigenvalue. At the eigenvalues are , while at they are . Thus nonhyperbolicity occurs at the two stated parameters. The following centre manifold reductions show the associated actual bifurcations.
Near put , , . The transformed equations areAt , the non-extended stable subspace is the axis and the centre subspace is the axis. In the extended centre manifold, write , with . The symmetry allows an even graph. At quadratic order its invariance equation has left side of degree at least three and right side , so . Substitution givesThis is a supercritical pitchfork bifurcation in parameter . The central branch is stable for and unstable for near one; the two nonzero branches for are stable. At the bifurcation itself the cubic term attracts on the centre manifold.
Near put , , . ThenAt , the stable subspace is and the centre line is . Thus the leading extended centre graph is , and the reduced flow isThis is a transcritical bifurcation: is stable for , while the branch is stable for ; the opposite branches are unstable. At the critical point the quadratic term is only one-sided attracting.
Local pitchfork and transcritical bifurcations, with stable branches solid and unstable branches dashed
. Details. The exact additional branch in isIt meets at and at , displaying the connecting pitchfork and transcritical branches in a quadratic-product flow. Its Jacobian has determinant and trace . Hence it is stable for and a saddle for . The negative- companion is needed for the pitchfork sketch near ; no separate analysis of is required.
