On the coexistence fixed point has
For these give a nonreal conjugate pair on the unit circle. Nearby, while the pair remains complex, its modulus is ; increasing through one changes the modulus from greater than one to less than one. This is the candidate Neimark–Sacker bifurcation, and a nonlinear coefficient is needed to decide its direction.
Here that coefficient can be calculated explicitly. Let , , and normalize the right eigenvector and complex projection by
For deviations , the quadratic derivative is
Thus , and are the quadratic coefficients in . The quadratic coordinate change has
Substitution into the map and collection of yields
Using and simplifies the cubic radial coefficient of a quadratic planar map to
Consequently, away from strong resonances of a planar map, the bifurcation is supercritical: on coexistence is attracting, whereas on a small attracting invariant closed curve surrounds the unstable coexistence fixed point. If , its leading radius is , and its radial multiplier is . Motion on the curve can be quasiperiodic or frequency-locked into periodic motion; stability of the curve alone does not imply an irrational rotation.
Two interior values need qualification: is a 1:3 resonance, and is a 1:4 resonance. At the former is singular and the quadratic term must be retained. At the latter a cubic term remains. The resonant terms can be displayed explicitly in the same normalization. At , . The third iterate, near the resonance and after removing nonresonant quadratics, has
Here is the angular detuning. Its nonzero stationary solutions have and three phases; they constitute a saddle three-cycle. Indeed the two leading real exponents at these solutions are , of opposite signs. Therefore no ordinary attracting-circle conclusion follows arbitrarily close to the exact 1:3 point.
At , the cubic resonant normal form is
The extra coefficient follows from and . Its radial cubic damping is uniform since . The slow angular equation is , so fourfold phase locking must be considered. For example, varying at fixed gives . The locked branches satisfy and . For they form one attracting and one saddle four-cycle; the two branches alternate in phase. This is a resonant alternative to quasiperiodic motion on an invariant curve. The endpoints also fail the simple-complex-pair assumptions. This distinguishes the generic nearby dynamics from unjustified claims about every point on the printed interval.