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In this paper, we consider a quartic family of planar vector fields corresponding to a rational Holling system which models the dynamics of the populations of predators and their prey in a given ecological or biomedical system and which is a variation on the classical Lotka–Volterra system. For the latter system, the change of the prey density per unit of time per predator called the response function is proportional to the prey density. This means that there is no saturation of the predator when the amount of available prey is large. However, it is more realistic to consider a nonlinear and bounded response function, and in fact different response functions have been used in the literature to model the predator response. After algebraic transformations, the rational Holling system can be written in the form of a quartic dynamical system. To investigate the character and distribution of the singular points in the phase plane of the quartic system, we use our method the sense of which is to obtain the simplest (well-known) system by vanishing some parameters (usually field rotation parameters) of the original system and then to input these parameters successively one by one studying the dynamics of the singular points (both finite and infinite) in the phase plane. Using the obtained information on singular points and applying our geometric approach to the qualitative analysis, we study the limit cycle bifurcations of the quartic system. To control all of the limit cycle bifurcations, especially, bifurcations of multiple limit cycles, it is necessary to know the properties and combine the effects of all of the rotation parameters. It can be done by means of the Wintner–Perko termination principle stating that the maximal one-parameter family of multiple limit cycles terminates either at a singular point which is typically of the same multiplicity (cyclicity) or on a separatrix cycle which is also typically of the same multiplicity (cyclicity). Applying this principle, we prove that the quartic system (and the corresponding rational Holling system) can have at most two limit cycles surrounding one singular point.

The work belongs to the direction of experimental mathematics, which investigates the properties of mathematical objects by the computing facilities of a computer. The base is an exponential map, its topological properties (Cantor's bouquets) differ from properties of polynomial and rational complex-valued functions. The subject of the study are the character and features of the Fatou and Julia sets, as well as the equilibrium points and orbits of the zero of three iterated complex-valued mappings: $f:z \to (1+ \mu) \exp (iz)$, $g : z \to \big(1+ \mu |z - z^*|\big) \exp (iz)$, $h : z \to \big(1+ \mu (z - z^* )\big) \exp (iz)$, with $z,\mu \in \mathbb{C}$, $z^* : \exp (iz^*) = z^*$. For a quasilinear map g having no analyticity characteristic, two bifurcation transitions were discovered: the creation of a new equilibrium point (for which the critical value of the linear parameter was found and the bifurcation consists of “fork” type and “saddle”-node transition) and the transition to the radical transformation of the Fatou set. A nontrivial character of convergence to a fixed point is revealed, which is associated with the appearance of “valleys” on the graph of convergence rates. For two other maps, the monoperiodicity of regimes is significant, the phenomenon of “period doubling” is noted (in one case along the path $39\to 3$, in the other along the path $17\to 2$), and the coincidence of the period multiplicity and the number of sleeves of the Julia spiral in a neighborhood of a fixed point is found. A rich illustrative material, numerical results of experiments and summary tables reflecting the parametric dependence of maps are given. Some questions are formulated in the paper for further research using traditional mathematics methods.

In the last decades, universal scenarios of the transition to chaos in dynamic systems have been well studied. The scenario of the transition to chaos is defined as a sequence of bifurcations that occur in the system under the variation one of the governing parameters and lead to a qualitative change in dynamics, starting from the regular mode and ending with chaotic behavior. Typical scenarios include a cascade of period doubling bifurcations (Feigenbaum scenario), the breakup of a low-dimensional torus (Ruelle–Takens scenario), and the transition to chaos through the intermittency (Pomeau–Manneville scenario). In more complicated spatially distributed dynamic systems, the complexity of dynamic behavior growing with a parameter change is closely intertwined with the formation of spatial structures. However, the question of whether the spatial and temporal axes could completely exchange roles in some scenario still remains open. In this paper, for the first time, we propose a mathematical model of convection–diffusion–reaction, in which a spatial transition to chaos through the breakup of the quasi–periodic regime is realized in the framework of the Ruelle–Takens scenario. The physical system under consideration consists of two aqueous solutions of acid (A) and base (B), initially separated in space and placed in a vertically oriented Hele–Shaw cell subject to the gravity field. When the solutions are brought into contact, the frontal neutralization reaction of the second order A + B $\to$ C begins, which is accompanied by the production of salt (C). The process is characterized by a strong dependence of the diffusion coefficients of the reagents on their concentration, which leads to the appearance of two local zones of reduced density, in which chemoconvective fluid motions develop independently. Although the layers, in which convection develops, all the time remain separated by the interlayer of motionless fluid, they can influence each other via a diffusion of reagents through this interlayer. The emerging chemoconvective structure is the modulated standing wave that gradually breaks down over time, repeating the sequence of the bifurcation chain of the Ruelle–Takens scenario. We show that during the evolution of the system one of the spatial axes, directed along the reaction front, plays the role of time, and time itself starts to play the role of a control parameter.

We suggest three possible mechanisms for formation of segmented waves and spirals. These structures were observed in the Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction dispersed in a water-in-oil aerosol OT microemulsion. The first mechanism is caused by interaction of two coupled subsystems, one of which is excitable, and the other one has Turing instability depending on the parameters. It is shown that, segmented spirals evolve from ordinary smooth spirals as a result of the transverse Turing instability. We demonstrate that depending on the properties of subsystems different segmented spirals emerge. For the second mechanism we suggest "splitting" of the traveling wave in the vicinity of the bifurcation point of codimension-2, where the boundaries of the Turing and wave instabilities intersect. Finally we show that the segmented waves can emerge in some simple two-component reaction-diffusion models having more than one steady state, particularly in a FitzHugh–Nagumo model.

The mathematical model of a three-layered Co/Cu/Co nanopillar for MRAM cell with one fixed and one free layer was investigated in the approximation of uniformly distributed magnetization. The anisotropy axis is perpendicular to the layers (so-called perpendicular anisotropy). Initially the magnetization of the free layer is oriented along the anisotropy axis in the position accepted to be “zero”. Simultaneous magnetic field and spinpolarized current engaging can reorient the magnetization to another position which in this context can be accepted as “one”. The mathematical description of the effect is based on the classical vector Landau–Lifshits equation with the dissipative term in the Gilbert form. In our model we took into account the interactions of the magnetization with an external magnetic field and such effective magnetic fields as an anisotropy and demagnetization ones. The influence of the spin-polarized injection current is taken into account in the form of Sloczewski–Berger term. The model was reduced to the set of three ordinary differential equations with the first integral. It was shown that at any current and field the dynamical system has two main equilibrium states on the axis coincident with anisotropy axis. It was ascertained that in contrast with the longitudinal-anisotropy model, in the model with perpendicular anisotropy there are no other equilibrium states. The stability analysis of the main equilibrium states was performed. The bifurcation diagrams characterizing the magnetization dynamics at different values of the control parameters were built. The classification of the phase portraits on the unit sphere was performed. The features of the dynamics at different values of the parameters were studied and the conditions of the magnetization reorientation were determined. The trajectories of magnetization switching were calculated numerically using the Runge–Kutta method. The parameter values at which limit cycles exist were determined. The threshold values for the switching current were found analytically. The threshold values for the structures with longitudinal and perpendicular anisotropy were compared. It was established that in the structure with the perpendicular anisotropy at zero field the switching current is an order lower than in the structure with the longitudinal one.

In this paper we investigate propagation of planar combustion waves in an adiabatic model with two-step chain branching reaction mechanism. Pulsating instabilities are found to emerge for fuel Lewis number greater than one due to a Hopf bifurcation. The Hopf bifurcation is demonstrated to be of a supercritical nature and it gives rise to periodic pulsating combustion waves as the neutral stability boundary is crossed. Further in-crease of the bifurcation parameter initiates period doubling bifurcation cascade and leads to chaotic regime of combustion wave propagation. The chaotic wave extinguishes when the bifurcation parameter becomes sufficiently large.

Optical systems with two-dimensional feedback demonstrate wide possibilities for studying the nucleation and development processes of dissipative structures. Feedback allows to influence the dynamics of the optical system by controlling the transformation of spatial variables performed by prisms, lenses, dynamic holograms and other devices. A nonlinear interferometer with a mirror image of a field in two-dimensional feedback is one of the simplest optical systems in which is realized the nonlocal nature of light fields.

A mathematical model of optical systems with two-dimensional feedback is a nonlinear parabolic equation with rotation transformation of a spatial variable and periodicity conditions on a circle. Such problems are investigated: bifurcation of the traveling wave type stationary structures, how the form of the solution changes as the diffusion coefficient decreases, dynamics of the solution’s stability when the bifurcation parameter leaves the critical value. For the first time as a parameter bifurcation was taken of diffusion coefficient.

The method of central manifolds and the Galerkin’s method are used in this paper. The method of central manifolds and the Galerkin’s method are used in this paper. The method of central manifolds allows to prove a theorem on the existence and form of the traveling wave type solution neighborhood of the bifurcation value. The first traveling wave born as a result of the Andronov –Hopf bifurcation in the transition of the bifurcation parameter through the сritical value. According to the central manifold theorem, the first traveling wave is born orbitally stable.

Since the above theorem gives the opportunity to explore solutions are born only in the vicinity of the critical values of the bifurcation parameter, the decision to study the dynamics of traveling waves of change during the withdrawal of the bifurcation parameter in the supercritical region, the formalism of the Galerkin method was used. In accordance with the method of the central manifold is made Galerkin’s approximation of the problem solution. As the bifurcation parameter decreases and its transition through the critical value, the zero solution of the problem loses stability in an oscillatory manner. As a result, a periodic solution of the traveling wave type branches off from the zero solution. This wave is born orbitally stable. With further reduction of the parameter and its passage through the next critical value from the zero solution, the second solution of the traveling wave type is produced as a result of the Andronov –Hopf bifurcation. This wave is born unstable with an instability index of two.

Numerical calculations have shown that the application of the Galerkin’s method leads to correct results. The results obtained are in good agreement with the results obtained by other authors and can be used to establish experiments on the study of phenomena in optical systems with feedback.

We now review the main points of mean-field approximation (MFA) in its application to multicomponent stochastic reaction-diffusion systems.

We present the chemical reaction model under study — brusselator. We write the kinetic equations of reaction supplementing them with terms that describe the diffusion of the intermediate components and the fluctuations of the concentrations of the initial products. We simulate the fluctuations as random Gaussian homogeneous and spatially isotropic fields with zero means and spatial correlation functions with a non-trivial structure. The model parameter values correspond to a spatially-inhomogeneous ordered state in the deterministic case.

In the MFA we derive single-site two-dimensional nonlinear self-consistent Fokker–Planck equation in the Stratonovich's interpretation for spatially extended stochastic brusselator, which describes the dynamics of probability distribution density of component concentration values of the system under consideration. We find the noise intensity values appropriate to two types of Fokker–Planck equation solutions: solution with transient bimodality and solution with the multiple alternation of unimodal and bimodal types of probability density. We study numerically the probability density dynamics and time behavior of variances, expectations, and most probable values of component concentrations at various noise intensity values and the bifurcation parameter in the specified region of the problem parameters.

Beginning from some value of external noise intensity inside the ordered phase disorder originates existing for a finite time, and the higher the noise level, the longer this disorder “embryo” lives. The farther away from the bifurcation point, the lower the noise that generates it and the narrower the range of noise intensity values at which the system evolves to the ordered, but already a new statistically steady state. At some second noise intensity value the intermittency of the ordered and disordered phases occurs. The increasing noise intensity leads to the fact that the order and disorder alternate increasingly.

Thus, the scenario of the noise induced order–disorder transition in the system under study consists in the intermittency of the ordered and disordered phases.

A mathematical model of predator – prey microecosystem with lower critical population number of prey is considered. The predator – prey system is assumed to be under harvesting. Harvesting intensity variations generate changes in two model parameters which are considered as controllable. Bifurcation diagram in control-lable parameters plane is constructed and corresponding phase portraits are represented.

We propose a three-component discrete-time model of the phytoplankton-zooplankton community, in which toxic and non-toxic species of phytoplankton compete for resources. The use of the Holling functional response of type II allows us to describe an interaction between zooplankton and phytoplankton. With the Ricker competition model, we describe the restriction of phytoplankton biomass growth by the availability of external resources (mineral nutrition, oxygen, light, etc.). Many phytoplankton species, including diatom algae, are known not to release toxins if they are not damaged. Zooplankton pressure on phytoplankton decreases in the presence of toxic substances. For example, Copepods are selective in their food choices and avoid consuming toxin-producing phytoplankton. Therefore, in our model, zooplankton (predator) consumes only non-toxic phytoplankton species being prey, and toxic species phytoplankton only competes with non-toxic for resources.

We study analytically and numerically the proposed model. Dynamic mode maps allow us to investigate stability domains of fixed points, bifurcations, and the evolution of the community. Stability loss of fixed points is shown to occur only through a cascade of period-doubling bifurcations. The Neimark – Sacker scenario leading to the appearance of quasiperiodic oscillations is found to realize as well. Changes in intrapopulation parameters of phytoplankton or zooplankton can lead to abrupt transitions from regular to quasi-periodic dynamics (according to the Neimark – Sacker scenario) and further to cycles with a short period or even stationary dynamics. In the multistability areas, an initial condition variation with the unchanged values of all model parameters can shift the current dynamic mode or/and community composition.

The proposed discrete-time model of community is quite simple and reveals dynamics of interacting species that coincide with features of experimental dynamics. In particular, the system shows behavior like in prey-predator models without evolution: the predator fluctuations lag behind those of prey by about a quarter of the period. Considering the phytoplankton genetic heterogeneity, in the simplest case of two genetically different forms: toxic and non-toxic ones, allows the model to demonstrate both long-period antiphase oscillations of predator and prey and cryptic cycles. During the cryptic cycle, the prey density remains almost constant with fluctuating predators, which corresponds to the influence of rapid evolution masking the trophic interaction.