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Autonomous equations

#059

Problem

y=2y(3y)y' = 2y(3-y)

Classification

  • nonlinear
  • equilibrium
  • growth
  • autonomous

Method

  • separable
  • partial fractions

Solution

y=3Ce6x+1y = \frac{3}{Ce^{-6x} + 1}

Simulation & Code

Computational workSimulation
Graph visualization for entry #059
Download .py file
Python codeOpen
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

x = np.linspace(-2, 2, 800)
constants = [0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 5]

fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(7, 4.5))

for constant in constants:
    y = 3 / (constant * np.exp(-6 * x) + 1)
    ax.plot(x, y, linewidth=2, label=f"C = {constant}")

ax.axhline(0, color="#111827", linewidth=1, alpha=0.55, label="equilibrium y = 0")
ax.axhline(3, color="black", linewidth=1, alpha=0.7, label="stable equilibrium y = 3")
ax.axvline(0, color="#111827", linewidth=0.8, alpha=0.35)
ax.set_title("Entry #059: y' = 2y(3 - y)")
ax.set_xlabel("x")
ax.set_ylabel("y")
ax.set_ylim(-0.4, 3.4)
ax.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
ax.legend(fontsize=8, ncols=2)

fig.tight_layout()
plt.show()

Handwritten derivation

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Takeaway & Interpretation

This is a logistic equation with carrying capacity 3 and a growth-rate scaling factor. The equilibria are y=0 and y=3. Solutions between 0 and 3 increase toward 3, while solutions above 3 decrease toward 3, making y=3 stable and y=0 unstable.