Existence of traveling wave solutions in a singularly perturbed predator-prey equation with spatial diffusion (Q6091070)

The authors construct travelling wave solutions for a spatially diffusive predator-prey model that includes a weak Allee effect on prey [\textit{P. A. Stephens} and \textit{W. J. Sutherland}, Trends Ecol. Evol. 14, No. 10, 401--405 (1999; \url{doi:10.1016/S0169-5347(99)01684-5})] and a (simplified) Holling type-III functional response. Under the additional assumptions that the wave speed is much larger than the prey diffusivity, as well as that the growth rate of prey is larger than that of predator, they apply Fenichel's geometric singular perturbation theory [\textit{N. Fenichel}, J. Differ. Equations 31, 53--98 (1979; Zbl 0476.34034)] to show the occurrence of relaxation oscillation and canard explosion [\textit{M. Krupa} and \textit{P. Szmolyan}, J. Differ. Equations 174, No. 2, 312--368 (2001; Zbl 0994.34032)] in the resulting multiple-scale model. On the basis of their geometric analysis, the authors formulate sufficient conditions for the existence of both monotone and non-monotone travelling waves and of isolated periodic wave trains; in particular, they show that a pair of the latter can coexist. Finally, they present numerical simulations to support their analytical findings, and they provide an ecological interpretation.