Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal Volume 16 Issue 2 Article 5 Linearization and Stability Analysis of Nonlinear Problems Robert Morgan Wayne State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.rose-hulman.edu/rhumj Recommended Citation Morgan, Robert (2015) "Linearization and Stability Analysis of Nonlinear Problems," Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal: Vol. 16 : Iss. 2 , Article 5. Available at: https://scholar.rose-hulman.edu/rhumj/vol16/iss2/5 Rose- Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal Linearization and Stability Analysis of Nonlinear Problems Robert Morgana Volume 16, No. 2, Fall 2015 Sponsored by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Department of Mathematics Terre Haute, IN 47803 Email:
[email protected] a http://www.rose-hulman.edu/mathjournal Wayne State University, Detroit, MI Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal Volume 16, No. 2, Fall 2015 Linearization and Stability Analysis of Nonlinear Problems Robert Morgan Abstract. The focus of this paper is on the use of linearization techniques and lin- ear differential equation theory to analyze nonlinear differential equations. Often, mathematical models of real-world phenomena are formulated in terms of systems of nonlinear differential equations, which can be difficult to solve explicitly. To overcome this barrier, we take a qualitative approach to the analysis of solutions to nonlinear systems by making phase portraits and using stability analysis. We demonstrate these techniques in the analysis of two systems of nonlinear differential equations. Both of these models are originally motivated by population models in biology when solutions are required to be non-negative, but the ODEs can be un- derstood outside of this traditional scope of population models.