Bifurcations and Turing patterns in a diffusive Gierer–Meinhardt model

Abstract

In this paper, the Hopf bifurcations and Turing bifurcations of the Gierer–Meinhardt activator-inhibitor model are studied. The very interesting and complex spatially periodic solutions and patterns induced by bifurcations are analyzed from both theoretical and numerical aspects respectively. Firstly, the conditions for the existence of Hopf bifurcation and Turing bifurcation are established in turn. Then, the Turing instability region caused by diffusion is obtained. In addition, to uncover the diffusion mechanics of Turing patterns, the dynamic behaviors are studied near the Turing bifurcation by using weakly nonlinear analysis techniques, and the type of spatial pattern was predicted by the amplitude equation. And our results show that the spatial patterns in the Turing instability region change from the spot, spot-stripe to stripe in order. Finally, the results of the analysis are verified by numerical simulations.