Multiplicity of rotating spirals under curvature flows with normal tip motion (Q1887554)

The authors study the initial value problem \[ w^{\prime \prime}+g(w)=\eta e^{-w}w^{\prime},~~w(0)=\text{ln}(b),~~w^{\prime}(0)=-\eta/b, \tag{1} \] where \(g(w)=e^{2w}-ae^w\), \(a,b\) are positive constants, and \(\eta\) is a real constant. The authors emphasize that this problem arises in the study of steadily rotating spiral waves in the kinematic theory of excitable media. For a noncontinuable solution \(w:[0,R)\to{\mathbb{R}}\) of (1), the energy function is defined by \[ E(y)=1/2 [w^{\prime}(y)]^2+G(w(y)),~~G(w)=1/2 e^{2w}-ae^w. \] If \(\lim _{y\to R^{-}}E(y)=0\), then the solution \(w\) is said to be \textit{a type I solution}. In the study of (1), the parameters \(b\) and \(\eta\) vary. The main result is the following theorem: There exists a sequence of positive numbers \[ \tilde{\eta}=\eta_0>\eta_1>\eta_2>...>\eta_m>...>0, \] such that (1) (when \(b\) varies) has exactly \(2m\) type I solutions for \(\eta\in (\eta_m,\eta_{m-1})\); and (1) has exactly \(2m+1\) type I solutions, if \(\eta=\eta_m\).