Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 2 13E d Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 13B b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 3 13B c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 ii Paper 3 13A Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 ii Paper 2 5E Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
At a positive spatially homogeneous equilibrium point, and . Hence . The reaction Jacobian matrix there isThe two-dimensional Routh-Hurwitz stability criterion gives strict linear asymptotic stability for , and instability for .
For a spatial mode with , the reaction-diffusion linearization is . When , its trace is negative for every , whileA growing mode exists precisely when this quadratic is negative at some . Its minimum must occur at positive , and must be strictly negative, givingWith , the latter inequality becomes . Selecting the root compatible with yields the Turing instability thresholdThe unstable band isOn a bounded domain a boundary condition must permit a mode in this band. Equality at the threshold gives a neutral mode, not positive growth.
At , the homogeneous linearization has purely imaginary eigenvalues, so it is not strictly linearly asymptotically stable. If “stable” is read as nonlinear stability, the boundary deserves attention. Put , , and , . The exact equations give , , where ,Expanding through cubic order, cancels the quadratic displacement. The correction from the quadratic change in also integrates to zero, because it is proportional to . Since , the Poincaré return map isThis cubic return-map stability of a weak focus shows that is a weak attracting focus. The strict linear range used in the Turing instability calculation is ; the positive homogeneous equilibrium is also nonlinearly asymptotically stable at the boundary . For that boundary, for every nonzero spatial mode. The same strict Turing instability threshold and unstable band therefore also apply there, with the homogeneous mode understood through nonlinear stability.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 4 13B Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
A positive spatially homogeneous equilibrium satisfies and , givingIt exists iff . The reaction Jacobian matrix isThus linear stability analysis gives strict homogeneous stability precisely whenThe boundaries are not included: at the linearization has purely imaginary exponents, and at the positive equilibrium ceases to exist.
For a mode , put . The perturbation matrix is . In the homogeneously stable region its trace is still negative, so a growing mode exists iff its determinant is negative:This upward quadratic is negative for some precisely whenSuch a Turing instability region is nonempty iff . The unstable band isFor a finite domain only the admissible boundary-condition wavenumbers in this band grow. The region shown below describes a continuous wavenumber spectrum.
At onset the minimum of is zero and . On the threshold , substitution gives . HenceThis last expression is the threshold wavenumber; away from onset the fastest-growing mode need not coincide with the minimum of the determinant.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 ii Paper 4 14C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
The term makes locally autocatalytic, while increasing suppresses this production. Thus is the activator and is the inhibitor.
At a positive spatially homogeneous equilibrium,Hence and , givingThe reaction Jacobian matrix there isBecause , the trace-determinant stability criterion shows that the spatially uniform reaction kinetics are stable exactly when
For a perturbation proportional to , put . Its growth rates are the eigenvalues ofThe trace is in the reaction-stable regime, while the determinant isA Turing instability occurs exactly when this upward-opening quadratic is negative for some . By the two-species diffusion-driven instability criterion, this requiresTogether these reduce toThus the unstable region in the -plane lies below the straight line and to the left of .
Inside this region, the unstable squared-wavenumber band isAt the bifurcation boundary the two roots coincide, soSubstituting yields
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 2 6C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
At a positive spatially homogeneous equilibrium,soThe Jacobian matrix of the reaction terms there isThe linear stability analysis of a two-dimensional system requires negative trace and positive determinant. Since , the homogeneous equilibrium is stable exactly when
For a spatial Fourier mode proportional to , put . The linearized matrix isIts trace is still negative when , whileA Turing instability occurs for some exactly when this quadratic has a negative minimum. This requiresWriting , the second inequality reduces to . Hence, for continuously available wave numbers, the condition isOn a bounded spatial domain, one additionally requires an allowed wave number for which .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ii Paper 4 14C b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
If , the condition would requireBut homogeneous stability requires . These inequalities are incompatible, so equal diffusivities cannot produce a Turing instability.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 3 13C c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 355 1 Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Write the reaction terms asA nonzero homogeneous equilibrium satisfies and , henceFor physically positive populations it exists exactly when
The reaction Jacobian matrix at this equilibrium isIts trace and determinant areThe equilibrium is therefore stable to spatially uniform perturbations when
For a spatial Fourier mode of wavenumber , put . The linearized reaction-diffusion system has matrixIts trace is smaller than , whileThe two-species diffusion-driven instability criterion says that this upward-opening quadratic becomes negative for some precisely whenCombining all conditions, a Turing instability may occur in the region
At onset the discriminant vanishes, and the double root isThe threshold relation givesso the critical wavenumber isIf , uniform stability requires whereas diffusion-driven instability requires . These inequalities are incompatible, so the Turing region vanishes.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 ii Paper 4 14A b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
If , both species have the same diffusion coefficient. For a perturbation proportional to , diffusion replaces by , shifting both reaction eigenvalues to the left by . Since the homogeneous equilibrium is already stable, every spatial mode remains stable.
For general , put . The mode matrix isIts trace iswhile its determinant isWith negative trace, instability occurs exactly when for some . The two-species diffusion-driven instability criterion says that this upward-opening quadratic has a negative minimum precisely whenEquivalently, the condition isThis is the Turing instability region.
Turing threshold of the Brusselator Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
When and have diffusivities and , respectively, and the homogeneous Brusselator equilibrium is stable, a Turing instability occurs precisely whenAt onset,
