Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2008 / ii / Paper 2 / 13B / a / Solution

For spatially homogeneous solutions, the bistable cubic reaction-diffusion equation reduces to $\dot{u}=f(u)=u(1-u)(u-r)$. Its equilibria are $0,r,1$, andThus $0$ and $1$ are asymptotically stable, while $r$ is unstable. Small spatial Fourier perturbations have growth rates $f^{\prime }(u_{\ast })-m{k}^2$, so diffusion also leaves the two outer uniform states linearly stable.