A special point of \(\mathbb{Z}_ 2\)-codimension three Hopf bifurcation in the Hodgkin-Huxley model (Q1921185)

The system of four ordinary differential equations in the Hodgkin-Huxley model has the form \({{dX}\over{dt}}= F(X,\nu)\), where \(X\), \(F\) are in \(\mathbb{R}^4\). \(\nu=(I,T,g_{N_a},v_{N_a})\) is the parameter space and \(F\) is smooth nonlinearity. The point \(\nu^c\) is the Hopf bifurcation point of this problem if its Jacobian at the corresponding stationary point \(X_*\) is nonsingular and has a single pure imaginary pair of simple eigenvalues. In the authors' works [J. Theor. Biol. 136, No. 3, 267-279 (1989) and ibid. 148, 157-173 (1991)] local families of periodic solutions are found in terms of solutions of an algebraic bifurcation equation \(xr(u,\nu)=0\) where \(u=x^2\) and \(r(u,\nu)\) is sufficiently smooth in some neighbourhood of the critical point \((0,\nu^c)\), where \(\lambda=I-I^c=\nu_1-\nu^c_1\) is the bifurcation parameter. Degenerate Hopf bifurcation appears when either \(r_\lambda(0,\nu^c)=0\) or \(r_u(0,\nu^c)=0\), or both. In the present article both \(g_{N_a}\) and \(v_{N_a}\) can vary and a doubly degenerate curve in \(\mathbb{R}^4\) is constructed on which the critical points lie. This curve includes one special point of \(\mathbb{Z}_2\)-codimension three Hopf bifurcation. Assuming that the parameters \((T,g_{N_a},v_{N_a})\) provide a versal unfolding, all previously known types of Hopf bifurcation in the Hodgkin-Huxley system are found. The recognition problem for the singularity at this point is solved.