Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2017 / iii / Paper 331 / 3 / b / iii

The cubic amplitude saturation equation $R^{\prime }=R(Q^2-R^2)$ and the Picard-Lindelöf theorem imply that positive solutions cannot cross the equilibrium $Q$. If $0<R_0<Q$, then $R$ stays below $Q$ and increases. If $R_0>Q$, then it stays above $Q$ and decreases. The explicit cubic amplitude saturation solution tends to $Q$ in both cases, soThe same relation makes the distance a decreasing monotone function in any spatial norm for which the plane wave has finite norm, for example on a periodic domain. At large time, $R-Q\sim -\frac{Q}{2}(Q^2/R_0^2-1)e^{-2Q^{2}t}$.

The printed monotonicity wording must be interpreted as monotone amplitude relaxation, or monotone decay of the distance between the waves. Complex numbers have no ordinary monotone ordering, and the real part at a fixed point can oscillate. For instance, $k=U=1$, $\mu =2$ and $R_0=1/2$ give $\mathrm{Re}{\psi }_R(0,t)=R(t)\cos t$, which is not monotone despite the monotone amplitude. This result concerns the common-phase single-mode family, not stability against arbitrary spatial perturbations.