THE DOVETAIL BIFURCATION STRUCTURE AND ITS QUALITATIVE CHANGES

Abstract

In a parameter plane defined by two parameters of a map, the dovetail bifurcation structure is a bifurcation curve organization, for which two fold cusps have a fold bifurcation segment in common. This gives rise to the association of either a crossroad area with a saddle area or a spring area with a saddle area. This paper describes this structure in the parameter plane for different configurations, and in the corresponding three-dimensional representations of the plane sheets. Then it identifies six different qualitative changes of this structure when a third parameter varies.