Limit cycles of a predator-prey model with intratrophic predation (Q953519)

The authors investigate a predator-prey system that may be used as a model for intratrophic predation phenomena, that is, the situation when part of the predator population consumes members of its own species. The parameters are chosen such that there exists a unique equilibrium \(E\) in the open positive quadrant. The main objective of the paper is to find the conditions for \(E\) to be a fine focus, and hence, for possible bifurcation of limit cycles from \(E\). For this purpose, by suitable scaling of time, the given system is transformed into a cubic vector field with four parameters. Then the computer algebra program FINDETA is used to calculate the first few focal values and Lyapunov quantities. In this way, the authors show that \(E\) is a fine focus of maximum order two, apart from some exceptional parameters where \(E\) is a center. Thus, at most two limit cycles bifurcate from \(E\).