Nonlinear systems Previous exam questions

1. Consider the iterated map 5. For each of the following systems, find out whether it has a closed orbit or not. If yes,
( then prove that it has. If no, then prove that it hasn’t.
−x n if x n ≥ 0, ( p p
x n+1 = ẋ = x 2 + y 2 (1 − x 2 + y 2 )x − y
−4x n if x n ≤ 0. (a) p p
ẏ = x 2 + y 2 (1 − x 2 + y 2 )y + x
(a) Find the fixed points of this map and discuss their stability. (
ẋ = y
(b) Consider any initial condition x 0 ̸= 0. What is the Liapunov exponent of the orbit (b)
ẏ = −x 3 − 5x 4 y + y
that starts in x 0 ? (
ẋ = (x + y)(1 − x)
(c) Is this map chaotic? Explain why (not). (c)
ẏ = 1 − x − y
2. Consider the system ẋ = (x 3 − x − r )(x − 1), where r ∈ R is a parameter.
6. For all (x, y, z) ∈ R3 , let
(a) Draw the bifurcation diagram of this system.
(b) Give the values of r for which a bifurcation occurs and, for each of these values, V (x, y, z) = 2x 2 + 2y 2 + 2z 2 + 2x y + 2y z + 2zx.
determine the type of bifurcation.
Find a system of the form
(c) Give a change of parameters that leads to hysteresis, and explain why it does.

ẋ = f (x, y, z)

(d) Now consider the case r = 0. Find all the fixed points and discuss their stability. ẏ = g (x, y, z)

ż = h(x, y, z)

3. Consider the following system:
( that has the origin as its unique fixed point and for which you can use the Liapunov Sta-
ẋ = y, bility Theorem to prove that the origin is globally stable, with V as Liapunov function.
ẏ = −x − x 2 . Explain why your system indeed has these properties.

(a) Sketch the phase portrait; try to be as accurate as feasible by hand. 7. Consider the series of phase portraits depicted in Figure 1. Which type of bifurcation
occurs at µ = 2? Explain why.
(b) The stable and unstable manifold of the saddle point satisfy an algebraic equation.
Provide an expression for it. 8. Consider the series of phase diagrams depicted in Figure 2. Which type of bifurcation
occurs at µ = 4.6? Explain why.
(c) Does this system have a heteroclinic trajectory? Explain why.
(d) Does this system have a homoclinic orbit? Explain why.
(e) For which initial conditions—that is, for which combinations of x(0) and y(0)—
does it hold that limt →+∞ x(t ) = −∞?
4. Use two-timing to estimate the solution of the system ẍ + x(1 + ϵ) − ϵx ẋ = 0 for the
initial conditions x(0) = 0 and ẋ(0) = 2. You may assume that 0 ≤ ϵ ≪ 1.
 (a) µ = 1.8 (b) µ = 1.9 (a) µ = 3.2 (b) µ = 4.2

(c) µ = 2.001 (d) µ = 2.01 (c) µ = 4.5 (d) µ = 4.7

(e) µ = 2.1 (f ) µ = 2.2 (e) µ = 5 (f ) µ = 6

Figure 1 Figure 2