MAT222 - Differential Equations II

Assignment
Answer all questions. Assignment must be submitted at the very latest 27th November
2014. Submission after this date will not be considered.
1. Small changes in the coefficients of a system of linear equations can affect the nature
of a critical point when the eigenvalues are equal. Consider the system
1 1
) .
0 1
Show that the eigenvalues are r1 = -1, r2 = -1 so that the critical point (0, 0) is an
asymptotically stable node. Now consider the system
1 1
= (
)
1
where || is arbitrarily small. Show that if > 0, then the eigenvalues are -1 ,
so that the asymptotically stable node becomes an asymptotically stable spiral point.
If < 0, then the roots are -1 ||, and the critical point remains an asymptotically
stable node.
= (

2. Assuming that the trajectory corresponding to a solution x = (t), y = (t), - < t < ,
of an autonomous system is closed, show that the solution is periodic.