Phase Portraits for Non-Linear

Systems
Lecture 2.2

Paul White
 Outline
• Recap of linear system analysis
• Eigenvalue interpretation
• Examples of linear systems
• Phase space for non-linear systems
• Linearization of solutions about equilibrium points
• Examples of non-linear systems
• Tools to help sketch phase portraits

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General Approach to the Constructing a
Phase Portrait for a Non-Linear System
• The most common approach to sketching the phase portrait of
a non-linear system is:
1) To find the equilibrium points
2) To define the character of the solution close to each equilibrium point
In the vicinity of an equilibrium point the system will behave as a linear
system.
One aims to determine the form of the linear approximation in the
vicinity of an equilibrium, is it a: centre, focus, node or saddle and
is it stable or unstable.
3) One then gathers any additional behaviour about trajectories (see
forthcoming notes on the method of isoclines, for example).
4) That should allow one to sketch the phase portrait by “intelligently”
fill in the gaps.

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 Equilibria for Non-linear Systems
• Recall that linear systems generally have a single equilibrium
located at the origin.
• For a non-linear system then:
– Generally there is more than one equilibrium
– These equilibria are not necessarily located at the origin
– For a second order non-linear system there is the possibility of one
further form of steady state solution, namely a limit cycle (a periodic
solution).

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 Finding Equilibrium Points
• To find the equilibrium points for a non-linear system one
simply needs to solve the pair of equations
= 1 ( x1 , x2 )
x1 f= 0
= 2 ( x1 , x2 )
x2 f= 0

for x1 and x2.

• This will generally yield multiple solutions, corresponding to
the multiple equilibrium points characteristic of a nonlinear
system.

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 Example IV
• Consider a softening spring model (a version of Duffing’s
equation)

x + x − x3 =0
• To find the equilibrium points, express in state space form

=x1 x=x2 x
x1 = x2 = f1 ( x1 , x2 ) x2 = x13 − x1 = f 2 ( x1 , x2 )
• Equilibrium points are the solutions of the pair of equations
x2 = 0 (
x13 − x1 = 0 ⇒ x1 x12 − 1 = 0 )
• So there are 3 equilibrium points: ( 0,0 ) , ( −1,0 ) and (1,0 )
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