Life on a regular polygon: Maps induced by spatially extended prey- predator equations (Q1099111)

We explore the time evolution of a set of integro-differential equations that describes a spatially inhomogeneous prey-predator system. These equations are reduced to a set of nonlinearly coupled maps, which, when iterated, converge to spatial modes that undergo \(2^ n\)-cycles in time. The average density of the predator population is used as a collective coordinate. Using it as the independent variable and the reproduction rate of the predator as the bifurcation parameter, a bifurcation portrait that exhibits unusual fine structure is produced. The portrait also shows bifurcations that are not signaled by jacobian eigenvalues exceeding unity in magnitude. The various branches are indentified with different spatial modes. Eigenportraits are also calculated. These are diagrams of all the jacobian eigenvalues plotted as a function of the bifurcation parameter and can be useful in identifying families of spatial modes. It is found that the degree of degeneracy of the eigenvalues whose magnitude is unity is predictive of the number of branches that emanate from each bifurcation.