Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2020 / ii / Paper 1 / 32E / iii / Solution

After adding $ϵ>0$, the equilibrium equation isThe constant term breaks the reflection symmetry $x\mapsto -x$. Consequently each symmetry-forced pitchfork becomes an imperfect pitchfork bifurcation, while each crossing that produced a transcritical bifurcation is disconnected. The remaining generic turning points are saddle-node bifurcations. The lower row shows this unfolding for a representative small positive $ϵ$; the upper row gives the unperturbed diagrams.

For $a<0$, both pitchforks and both transcritical crossings are destroyed. For $a=0$, the simultaneous fifth-order meeting splits into separated folds. For $a>0$, both pitchforks become imperfect. Hence, under the allowed constant perturbation,This is the structural stability of a bifurcation distinction between the nongeneric pitchfork and transcritical diagrams and the generic saddle-node diagrams left by their unfoldings.