Applications of Systems of Equations
- a. Find the critical points of the competitive hunters model
(4)
dx 2
- = 4x - .5xy - .2x
dt
dy y2
dt = 4y -. 25xy -
3
.
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b. Use SOLVESYS or your computer software to solve system (4) on the
interva l [O, 5] for the initial conditions:
(i) x(O) = .1, y(O) = 1 (ii) x(O) = 1, y(O) = .1 (iii) x(O) = 20 , y(O) = 5
(iv) x(O) = 20, y(O) = 10
In each case, estimate limt-->exi x(t) and limt-+oo y(t) and determine which
species b ecomes extinct.
- a. Find the critical points of the competitive hunters model
(5)
dx 2
dt = 2x - 2xy - 2x
dy 2
dt = 4y - 2xy - 6y.
b. Use computer software to solve system (5) on the interval [O, 5] for the
initia l conditions:
(i) x(O) = .1, y(O) = .1 (ii) x(O) = .1, y(O) = 1 (iii) x(O) = 1, y(O) = .1
(iv) x(O) = 1, y(O) = 1
In each case, estimate limt-+oo x(t) and limt-+oo y(t). Does either species be-
come extinct?
- This exercise is designed to illustrate the radica l changes which constant-
effort harvesting of one of the competing species can bring about. One of
the species, for example, might have a fur which humans find very desirable.
Consider the following competitive hunters model in which the x sp ecies is
harvested with positive harvesting constant H.
(6)
dx 2
- = lOx - xy - x - H x
dt
dy 2
dt = 8y - xy - 2y.