Numerical continuation through folds with step control (Q4653702)

This paper is concerned with the numerical continuation of implicitly defined curves through turning points with a suitable step size control. The problems under consideration arise e.g. in the numerical solution of parameter dependent two-point boundary value problems and can be written in the general form: (1) \( H(x; \lambda)= 0,\) where \( H: {\mathbb R}^n \times {\mathbb R} \to {\mathbb R}^n\) is a sufficiently smooth function such that \( H_x(x, \lambda) \) is not full rank at some simple turning points. In standard continuation methods the solution \( x = x (\lambda )\) of (1) is computed numerically with predictor corrector algorithms by using either the natural parameter \( \lambda\) or else the arc length. Here the authors propose to take an alternative parameter defined in terms of the component of the solution \( x \) with a faster variation with the purpose to control more accurately the behaviour of the curve in the neighbourhood of the singularity. The results of some numerical experiments are presented to show that with the new algorithm they are able to compute successfully some turning points.