Sequences -- Classifying Equilibrium Points
One of the most important problems we study is the classification
of equilibrium points. You have, by now, seen many examples of
equilibrium points for dynamical systems. Some of these equilibrium
points are attracting in the sense that they "pull in" sequences
and others are not attracting. The purpose of this module is to study the
nature of equilibrium points -- that is, to classify equilibrium points --
and to study the effects that different kinds of equilibrium points have
on the longterm behavior of models.
This module can be used in either of two ways --
- as a discovery module in which you
discover how to classify equilibrium points and the
effects that different kinds of equilibrium points have
on the longterm behavior of models.
- as a reference module describing
how to classify equilibrium points and the
effects that different kinds of equilibrium points have
on the longterm behavior of models.
If this is your first encounter with the classification of equilibrium
points we recommend that you use this module first as a
discovery module.
Copyright c 1995 by
PWS Publishing Company, a division of International
Thomson Publishing Inc. Comments to
Frank Wattenberg, Department of Mathematics, Carroll College,
Helena, MT 59625.