Nonlinear Dynamics for Biological Systems
EN.580.244
Spring 2025
Section 1: Population Growth Models
Instructions
You are encouraged to work in groups of 3-5.
Part 1: Exponential Growth
Q1. Consider the differential equation Ṅ = rN , where N (t) is the population at time t, and r > 0 is the
intrinsic growth rate. What does the equation tell you about how the population changes over time?
Q2. Suppose the initial population is N (0) = N0 . Use the method of separation of variables to solve the
differential equation and find an expression for N (t).
Q3. What type of growth does this model predict? Sketch a rough graph of N (t) for t ≥ 0.
Q4. How does changing the value of r affect the solution?
Part 2: Logistic growth
Q5. Consider the logistic growth equation:
N
Ṅ = rN 1 − ,
K
N
where K > 0 is the so-called carrying capacity of the population. What does the term 1 − K
represent biologically? What happens to the population as N → K? What about when N > K?
Q6. Find the fixed points of the equation (i.e., values of N such that Ṅ = 0).
Q7. Sketch the phase portrait of the system: a graph of Ṅ versus N for N ≥ 0. Label all fixed points
and indicate the direction of the flow on the phase space (i.e., the N axis).
Q8. Use the phase portrait to classify the stability of the fixed points. Interpret these fixed points and
their stability from a biological standpoint.
Q9. Use linear stability analysis to classify the fixed points you found in Question 6. Compare your
answers with Question 8.
Q10. Sketch graphs of N (t) versus t for various initial populations N0 ∈ {0, 12 K, K, 23 K}. How do
solutions behave over time?
Q11. Comment on the limitations of the logistic model. What biological assumptions does it make? Are
they always realistic? Are there certain phenomena that the model fails to predict?
S OLUTIONS
Part 1: Exponential Growth
Q1. Ṅ = rN implies that the rate of change of the population is proportional to the current population.
Q2.
dN
= rN
dt
1
⇒ dN = r dt
N
⇒ ln |N | = rt + C
⇒ N (t) = N0 ert
Q3. This model predicts exponential growth. The graph is an increasing exponential curve starting at N0 .
N(t) = N0 ert
20
N (t) r = 0.2
r = 0.5
15 r = 1.0
10
t
1 2 3 4 5
Q4. A higher r leads to faster growth.
Part 2: Logistic Growth
N
Q5. The term 1 − K represents the effect of limited resources. As N → K, growth slows. When N > K,
the population decreases.
Q6. Set Ṅ = 0:
N
rN 1 − = 0 =⇒ N1∗ = 0 or N2∗ = K
K
Q7.
Phase portrait for the logistic growth model
Ṅ
N
0 K
Q8.
• N1∗ = 0: unstable fixed point (population grows if slightly increased).
• N2∗ = K: stable fixed point (population returns to K if perturbed).
• Biologically: N = 0 represents extinction, N = K represents stable population at carrying capacity.
N
Q9. To apply linear stability analysis, we linearize the logistic equation Ṅ = rN 1 − K by computing
the derivative of the right-hand side:
dṄ 2N
=r 1−
dN K
We then evaluate the derivative at each fixed point, and check its sign:
• At N1∗ = 0:
dṄ
=r>0 =⇒ Unstable
dN
N =0
• At N2∗ = K:
dṄ
= −r < 0 =⇒ Stable
dN
N =K
This confirms the stability classification from the phase portrait in Q8.
Q10. For:
• N0 = 0: N (t) = 0 constant for all time.
• N0 ∈ (0, K): N (t) increases to K in the longrun.
• N0 = K: N (t) = K constant for all time.
• N0 > K: N (t) decreases towards K in the longrun.
Whenever the initial population is positive, i.e., when N0 > 0, each solution levels off at the carrying
capacity in the longrun.
Solutions to the logistic equation for different N0
3K/2 N (t)
K/2 N0 = 0
N0 ∈ (0, K)
N0 = K
N0 > K
t
0
Q11. Limitations of the logistic model include:
• Assumes constant growth rate r and constant carrying capacity K.
• Assumes homogeneous population and instant adjustment to resources.
• Does not account for migration in and out of the population, or effects on the population size caused
by exogenous factors, e.g. environmental variability.
• The logistic model is unable to predict phenomena such as extinction of the population.