(*^ ::[ Information = "This is a Mathematica Notebook file. It contains ASCII text, and can be transferred by email, ftp, or other text-file transfer utility. It should be read or edited using a copy of Mathematica or MathReader. If you received this as email, use your mail application or copy/paste to save everything from the line containing (*^ down to the line containing ^*) into a plain text file. On some systems you may have to give the file a name ending with ".ma" to allow Mathematica to recognize it as a Notebook. The line below identifies what version of Mathematica created this file, but it can be opened using any other version as well."; FrontEndVersion = "Macintosh Mathematica Notebook Front End Version 2.2"; MacintoshStandardFontEncoding; fontset = title, inactive, noPageBreakBelow, nohscroll, preserveAspect, groupLikeTitle, center, M7, bold, e8, 24, "Times"; fontset = subtitle, inactive, noPageBreakBelow, nohscroll, preserveAspect, groupLikeTitle, center, M7, bold, e6, 18, "Times"; fontset = subsubtitle, inactive, noPageBreakBelow, nohscroll, preserveAspect, groupLikeTitle, center, M7, italic, e6, 14, "Times"; fontset = section, inactive, noPageBreakBelow, nohscroll, preserveAspect, groupLikeSection, grayBox, M22, bold, a20, 18, "Times"; fontset = subsection, inactive, noPageBreakBelow, nohscroll, preserveAspect, groupLikeSection, blackBox, M19, bold, a15, 14, "Times"; fontset = subsubsection, inactive, noPageBreakBelow, nohscroll, preserveAspect, groupLikeSection, whiteBox, M18, bold, a12, 12, "Times"; fontset = text, inactive, nohscroll, noKeepOnOnePage, preserveAspect, M7, 12, "Times"; fontset = smalltext, inactive, nohscroll, noKeepOnOnePage, preserveAspect, M7, 10, "Times"; fontset = input, noPageBreakInGroup, nowordwrap, preserveAspect, groupLikeInput, M42, N23, bold, L-5, 12, "Courier"; fontset = output, output, inactive, noPageBreakInGroup, nowordwrap, preserveAspect, groupLikeOutput, M42, N23, L-5, 12, "Courier"; fontset = message, inactive, noPageBreakInGroup, nowordwrap, preserveAspect, groupLikeOutput, M42, N23, R65535, L-5, 12, "Courier"; fontset = print, inactive, noPageBreakInGroup, nowordwrap, preserveAspect, groupLikeOutput, M42, N23, L-5, 12, "Courier"; fontset = info, inactive, noPageBreakInGroup, nowordwrap, preserveAspect, groupLikeOutput, M42, N23, B65535, L-5, 12, "Courier"; fontset = postscript, PostScript, formatAsPostScript, output, inactive, noPageBreakInGroup, nowordwrap, preserveAspect, groupLikeGraphics, M7, l34, w282, h287, 12, "Courier"; fontset = name, inactive, nohscroll, noKeepOnOnePage, preserveAspect, M7, italic, 10, "Geneva"; fontset = header, inactive, noKeepOnOnePage, preserveAspect, M7, 12, "Times"; fontset = leftheader, inactive, L2, 12, "Times"; fontset = footer, inactive, noKeepOnOnePage, preserveAspect, center, M7, 12, "Times"; fontset = leftfooter, inactive, L2, 12, "Times"; fontset = help, inactive, nohscroll, noKeepOnOnePage, preserveAspect, M7, 10, "Times"; fontset = clipboard, inactive, nohscroll, noKeepOnOnePage, preserveAspect, M7, 12, "Times"; fontset = completions, inactive, nohscroll, noKeepOnOnePage, preserveAspect, M7, 12, "Times"; fontset = special1, inactive, nohscroll, noKeepOnOnePage, preserveAspect, M7, 12, "Times"; fontset = special2, inactive, nohscroll, noKeepOnOnePage, preserveAspect, M7, 12, "Times"; fontset = special3, inactive, nohscroll, noKeepOnOnePage, preserveAspect, M7, 12, "Times"; fontset = special4, inactive, nohscroll, noKeepOnOnePage, preserveAspect, M7, 12, "Times"; fontset = special5, inactive, nohscroll, noKeepOnOnePage, preserveAspect, M7, 12, "Times"; paletteColors = 128; automaticGrouping; currentKernel; ] :[font = special1; inactive; preserveAspect] A Neat Problem The cell below illstrates how the Mathematica procedure NDSolve can be used to investigate problems like the problem in this module. Evaluate it now. ;[s] 7:0,1;66,0;102,2;113,0;125,1;132,0;203,3;221,-1; 4:3,13,9,Times,0,12,0,0,0;2,13,9,Times,1,12,0,0,0;1,13,9,Times,2,12,0,0,0;1,13,9,Times,1,12,65535,0,0; :[font = input; preserveAspect] Clear[solution, a, b, c] high := 4 a := 1 b := 1 c := 1 solution = NDSolve[ {x'[t] == a * (y[t] - x[t]), y'[t] == b * (x[t] - y[t]) - c * y[t], x[0] == 0, y[0] == 6}, {x, y}, {t, 0, high}]; Plot[{x[t] /. solution, y[t] /. solution}, {t, 0, high}, PlotRange -> {0, 6}, PlotStyle -> {{RGBColor[1, 0, 0]}, {RGBColor[0, 0, 1]}}] :[font = special1; inactive; preserveAspect] This give us an immediate partial answer to our question. What is it? Notice that we still have lots of questions. The most important question is -- Why? We should also ask whether this always happens or we just happened to pick one particular situation in which it did happen. ^*)