Traveling waves of predator-prey system with a sedentary predator (Q6053985)

Predator-prey systems with spatial diffusion are in many cases known to possess traveling wave solutions. In the present article a predator-prey system of the form \[ \begin{aligned} u_t & = d_1u_{xx} + f(u) (p(u)-g(w)), \\ w_t & = g(w) (\beta f(u) -\mu(w)) \end{aligned} \] is considered in which only the prey species is moving via the diffusion term while the predator is sedentary. Here, \(f(u)p(u)\) describes the growth rate of the prey in the absence of the predator, while \(g(w)\mu(w)\) models the density-dependent death rate of the predator in the absence of the prey. Under certain assumptions on the nonlinearities there exist precisely three stationary solutions for \(d_1=0\): \(E_0=(0,0)\), \(E_K=(K,0)\) where only prey is present and a positive equilibrium \(E_\ast\). The main result states that there are no traveling waves connecting \(E_0\) to \(E_\ast\), there are no traveling waves connecting \(E_K\) to \(E_\ast\) with wave speed \(c\leq 0\), while for \(c > 0\) there exist traveling waves connecting \(E_K\) to \(E_\ast\). The proof uses the construction of a Ważewski set combined with a shooting argument where a part of the unstable manifold of \(E_K\) is traced forward. The article concludes with a short section on a specific system with Holling type-III functional response, including numerical experiments for this system.