We linearise about u = 1 by setting, in the usual way,

ut = 1 + vt , | vt | _ 1
and (2.28) then gives
1 + vt+1 = (1 + vt ) exp [rvt1] (1 + vt )(1 rvt1)
and so
vt+1 vt + rvt1 = 0. (2.29)
We look for solutions of this difference equation in the form
vt = zt z2 z + r = 0
which gives two values for z, z1 and z2, where
z 1, z 2 = 1
2
[1 (1 4r )1/2], r <
1
4
, z1, z2 = ei , r >
1
4
(2.30)
with
= r 1/2, = tan1(4r 1)1/2, r >
1
4
.
The solution of (2.29), for which the characteristic equation is the quadratic in z, is then
vt = Azt1
+ Bzt2
, (2.31)
where A and B are arbitrary constants.
If 0 < r < 1/4, z1 and z2 are real, 0 < z1 < 1, 0 < z2 < 1 and so from (2.31),
vt 0 as t and hence u = 1 is a linearly stable equilibrium state. Furthermore
the return to this equilibrium after a small perturbation is monotonic.
If r > 1/4, z1 and z2 are complex with z2 = z1, the complex conjugate of z1. Also
z1z2 = |z1 |2 = 2 = r . Thus for 1/4 < r < 1, | z1 || z2 | < 1. In this case the solution
is
vt = Azt1
+ Bzt
1

and, since it is real, we must have B = A and so, with (2.30), the real solution
vt = 2| A |t cos(t + ), = arg A, = tan1(4r 1)1/2. (2.32)
As r 1, tan1

3 = /3.
As r passes through the critical rc = 1, | z1 | > 1 and so vt grows unboundedly with
t and u is then unstable. Since /3 for r 1 and vt 2| A |