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For $r>0$, differentiate $r^2=x^2+y^2$ and use the two differential equations:Substituting $x=r\cos \theta$, $y=r\sin \theta$ gives the required equations in polar coordinates. The origin is handled in Cartesian coordinates, where it is an equilibrium point; an angular coordinate is not defined there.

A Lyapunov function near an equilibrium point is a continuously differentiable positive-definite scalar function $V$ whose derivative along solutions is nonpositive. This implies local Lyapunov stability under the usual comparison bounds; if its derivative is negative definite, the Second Lyapunov theorem gives local asymptotic stability. Here takeIf $a<f(0,0)$, continuity gives a small ball and $\delta >0$ such that $f(x,y)-a\ge \delta$ inside it. Consequently $\dot{V}\le -2\delta V$. A sufficiently small initial sublevel set stays inside the ball, and $V(t)\le V(0)e^{-2\delta t}$. The origin is asymptotically stable, in fact locally exponentially stable. If $a>f(0,0)$, continuity instead gives $\dot{V}\ge 2\delta V$ in a small ball. Every nonzero initial point there exits that ball in forward time, proving instability of the origin. These inequalities hold along all local solutions; continuity of $f$ alone need not supply uniqueness for a general vector field.

If $f=g(r)$, a nonzero constant radius $r_0$ satisfying $a=g(r_0)$ gives a periodic orbit of period $2\pi$, since $\dot{\theta }=1$. Linearizing the scalar radial equation there givesThus the periodic orbit is orbitally asymptotically stable for $g^{\prime }(r_0)>0$ and unstable for $g^{\prime }(r_0)<0$. The direction along the periodic orbit is neutral, as expected for an autonomous periodic orbit; orbital asymptotic stability means attraction in a dynamical system to the orbit with a possible phase shift.

For the specified radial response,The origin is therefore stable for $0<a<3/2$ and unstable for $a>3/2$. The nonzero-radius equation has roots of an equationretaining only positive radii. For $1<a<3/2$, the square root exceeds one, so only $r_{+}>1$ exists and $g^{\prime }(r_{+})<0$: the periodic orbit is unstable. For $3/2<a<2$, both radii are positive; $0<r_{-}<1$ gives $g^{\prime }(r_{-})>0$ and a stable periodic orbit, while $r_{+}>1$ remains unstable.

As $a$ increases through $3/2$, the stable small-radius periodic orbit emerges from the origin while the origin loses Lyapunov stability. This is the supercritical Hopf-type transition with a nonsmooth radial response requested. It follows directly from the explicit radial dynamics. There is a regularity qualification: $g(r)=3/2+r/2+O(r^2)$ near zero, so the vector field in Cartesian coordinates contains $x\sqrt{x^2+y^2}$ and $y\sqrt{x^2+y^2}$ terms. It is continuously differentiable but not generally twice differentiable at the origin, and the periodic orbit radius grows as $r_{-}\sim 2(a-3/2)$ rather than the square-root law of a generic smooth Hopf normal form. One should therefore use the explicit computation here rather than invoke a smooth Hopf bifurcation theorem with unmet hypotheses. At $a=3/2$ itself the origin is still weakly attracting, because $a-g(r)<0$ for small positive $r$.