Applied Dynamical Systems Seminar (Winter 2012, MUN)

Organizer: Dr. Yuan Yuan

  • Rongsong Liu (University of Wyoming, USA) ``Spatiotemporal Mutualistic Model of Mistletoes and Birds'' (Jan. 6, 1:00pm, HH-3017, Departmental Colloquium)
    Abstract: A mathematical model which incorporates the spatial dispersal and interaction dynamics of mistletoes and birds is derived and studied to gain insights of the spatial heterogeneity in abundance of mistletoes. Fickian diffusion and chemotaxis are used to model the random movement of birds and the aggregation of birds due to the attraction of mistletoes respectively. The spread of mistletoes by birds is expressed by a convolution integral with a dispersal kernel. Two different types of kernel functions are used to study the model, one is Dirac delta function which reflects one extreme case that the spread behavior is local, and the other one is a general non-negative symmetric function which describes the nonlocal spread of mistletoes. When the kernel function is taken as the Dirac delta function, the threshold condition for the existence of mistletoes is given and explored in term of parameters. For the general non-negative symmetric kernel case, we prove the existence and stability of non-constant equilibrium solutions. Numerical simulations are conducted by taking specific forms of kernel functions. Our study shows that the spatial heterogeneous patterns of the mistletoes are related to the specific dispersal pattern of the birds which carry mistletoe seeds.

  • Etienne Farcot (INRIA Sophia Antipolis Mediterranee in the Virtual Plants team, France) `` Patterns Induced by Active Transport in Cellular Tissues'' (Jan. 11, 4:00pm, HH-3013)
    Abstract: In this work, we consider a typical model of transport of a substance in a cellular tissue, where transporter molecules accumulate on the boundaries of cells in function of the local flux of the substance between adjacent cells. The origin of such models is the study of organ arrangements in plants, also called phyllotaxis. It is known that the regular patterns of phyllotaxis depend strongly on the active transport of auxin, a plant hormone. Computer simulations have shown that several variants of this active transport mechanism can lead to realistic phyllotactic patterns. However, very few is known about the general patterning abilities of this model. As a first step, we will present some results on existence and stability of steady states with homogeneous auxin distribution. A particular focus will be put on tissues having the shape of a ring of cells.

  • Xiaoqiang Zhao (Memorial University) ``Some Remarks on Periodic Solutions for Functional Differential Equations'' (Jan. 27, 1:00pm, HH-3017)
    Abstract: In this talk, I will show how the theory of global attractors and steady states for uniformly persistent dynamical systems can be used to obtain the existence of positive periodic solutions for dissipative periodic functional differential equations of retarded and neutral types. This result is then applied to a multi-species competition system and some epidemic models. A note on the weak compactness of solution maps will also be given.

  • Zhen Wang (Memorial University) ``Global Dynamics of A Time-Delayed Dengue Transmission Model'' (Feb. 3, 1:00pm, HH-3017)
    Abstract: In this talk, I will report our recent research on a time-delayed dengue transmission model. We first introduce the basic reproduction number for this model and show that it serves as a threshold parameter that predicts whether the disease will persist or not. We further establish a set of sufficient conditions for the existence and global attractivity of the endemic equilibrium by the method of fluctuations. This talk is based on the joint work with Dr. Xiaoqiang Zhao.

  • Yi Zhang (Memorial University) ``Traveling wavefronts of non-local reaction-diffusion models for cell adhesion and cancer invasion '' (Feb. 10, 1:00pm, HH-3017)
    Abstract: In this talk, we will consider non-local reaction-diffusion models with integro-partial differential equation for cell adhesion and cancer invasion. We provide a valid approach to establishing the existence of traveling wavefronts via the Banach fixed point theorem when the adhesion coefficient is relatively small. Numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the main results, and comparisons of wave patterns in different parameters are demonstrated. This talk is based on the joint work with Dr. Chunhua Ou.

  • Jinyong Ying (Memorial University) ``Equivariant bifurcation in a symmetrical ring network with delay'' (Feb. 17, 1:00pm, HH-3017)
    Abstract: In this talk, we investigate the bifurcation of a symmetrical ring network model with delay. Firstly, we present the linear stability by analyzing the distribution of a transcendental equation. Then, applying the center manifold theory, normal form approach and symmetrical bifurcation theory, we study the one- and two- dimensional equivariant pitchfork and Hopf bifurcations. Numerical simulation are given to verify the theoretical results. This is a joint work with Dr. Yuan.

  • Hermann Brunner (MUN, Hong Kong Baptist University) ``Finite-time blow-up of solutions to semilinear parabolic integro-differential equations'' (Mar. 2, 1:00pm, HH-3017)
    Abstract: The first part of this talk will be dedicated to a brief review of the theory of finite-time blow-up of solutions to semilinear parabolic PDEs on bounded or unbounded spatial domains $\Omega $. The second part of the talk will focus on semilinear parabolic integro-differential equations where the reaction term is now nonlocal and given a by Volterra-type memory term. I will describe the recently obtained (jointly with Lizao Li) extension of Fujita's fundamental 1966 result for PDEs to such nonlocal problems on $\Omega = \RR^{N}$. However, for other unbounded spatial domains $\Omega \varsubsetneq \RR^{N}$ many key questions remain to be answered. The talk will conclude with a short discussion of current and future work on the computational solution of semilinear parabolic integro-differential equations.

  • Yuan Yuan (MUN) ``A non-nitrogen-fixing/nitrogen-fixing phytoplankton growth model with nutrient and light`` (Mar. 9, 1:00pm, HH-3017)
    Abstract: We propose a mathematical model with the growth of two kinds of phytoplankton: non-nitrogen-fixing and nitrogen-fixing phytoplankton, competing for light and nutrient. We introduce the two general functional groups F and U to present the nonlinear interactions among the two types of phytoplankton and nutrient through the implicit effect of the light. We give some sufficient conditions for the existence of the single-species survival and the coexistence of two species survival steady states, discuss the influence of nutrient source, light intensity and growth, loss rates on the dynamics of the ecosystem. Numerical results are given to illustrate the qualitative behavior of the system under different environmental conditions. The temporal dynamical behavior have been compared with the constant and changeable water depths in an annual cycle, showing the impact of the water depth.

  • Yuxiang Zhang (MUN) `` A reaction-diffusion Lyme disease model with seasonality'' (Mar. 17, 1:00pm, HH-3017)
    Abstract: In this talk, I will report our recent research on a reaction-diffusion Lyme disease model with seasonality. In the case of a bounded habitat, we obtain a threshold result on the global stability of either disease-free or positive periodic state. In the case of an unbounded habitat, we establish the existence of the spreading speed of the disease and its coincidence with the minimal wave speed for the time-periodic traveling wave fronts. We also estimate parameter values based on some published data, and use them to study the Lyme disease transmission in Port Dove, Ontario. Our numerical simulations are well consistent with our analytic results. This talk is based on the joint work with Dr. Xiaoqiang Zhao.

  • Rui Peng (MUN) `` Effects of Diffusion and Advection on the Principal Eigenvalue of a Periodic-parabolic Problem with Applications '' (Mar. 23, 1:00pm, HH-3017)
    Abstract: The principal eigenvalue is a basic concept in the field of reaction-diffusion partial differential equations. In recent decades, there has been a large amount of research work devoted to the investigation of the qualitative properties of the principal eigenvalue and its eigenfunction for second-order linear elliptic operators. As far as the periodic-parabolic operator is concerned, however, to our best knowledge, much less has been known for the associated principal eigenvalue, especially when the advection term appears. The principal eigenvalue for linear periodic-parabolic operators is important because it not only contains the autonomous elliptic case but is interesting in its own right when a time periodic environment is involved. In my talk, we are concerned with the one-dimensional periodic-parabolic eigenvalue problem. The dependence of the principal eigenvalue on the diffusion and advection coefficients is investigated. In particular, the asymptotic behaviors of the principal eigenvalue as the diffusion and advection coefficients go to zero or infinity are derived. These qualitative results are then applied to a nonlocal reaction-diffusion- advection equation modelling the spatiotemporal evolution of a single phytoplankton species with periodic incident light intensity. This is joint work with Dr. Xiaoqiang Zhao.

  • Binguo Wnag (Lanzhou University) ``Limit Set Trichotomy and Dichotomy for Skew-Product Semiflows with Application" (Mar. 30, 1:00pm, HH-3017)
    Abstract: In this talk, I will report Limit Set Trichotomy and Dichotomy for Skew- Product Semiflows. Under suitable monotone and concave assumptions, the limit set trichotomy and dichotomy for skew-product semiflows are established . As an application, a delayed Hopfild-type neural network model is considered. -->