On the equivalent classification of three-dimensional competitive Leslie/Gower models via the boundary dynamics on the carrying simplex (Q527283)

The authors study a discrete-time competitive Leslie/Gower model \(T:\mathbb{R}^n\to\mathbb{R}^n\) where the \(i\)-th component of \(T\) is \(T_i(x)=c_ix_i/(1+\sum_{j=1}^n b_{ij}x_j)\). They focus on the \(n=3\) case and show that the system has a two-dimensional globally-attracting ``carrying simplex'' \(\Sigma\), such that each nontrivial orbit is asymptotic to one in \(\Sigma\). They analyse the dynamics on \(\Sigma\) and show that there are 33 possible cases, distinguished by simple inequalities on the \(c_i\) and \(b_{ij}\). In 18 cases every nontrivial orbit converges to a fixed point on the boundary of \(\Sigma\), i.e., at least one species is driven to extinction. Of the remaining 15 cases, they prove that Neimark-Sacker bifurcations do not occur in 8 of them and do occur in 6, with no conclusive result for one case. One case always admits a heteroclinic cycle which forms the boundary of \(\Sigma\).