Beyond Turing: far-from-equilibrium patterns and mechano-chemical feedback

Turing patterns are commonly understood as specific instabilities of a spatially homogeneous steady state, resulting from activator–inhibitor interaction destabilized by diffusion. We argue that this view is restrictive and its agreement with biological observations is problematic. We present two alternatives to the classical Turing analysis of patterns. First, we employ the abstract framework of evolution equations to enable the study of far-from-equilibrium patterns. Second, we introduce a mechano-chemical model, with the surface on which the pattern forms being dynamic and playing an active role in the pattern formation, effectively replacing the inhibitor. We highlight the advantages of these two alternatives vis-à-vis the classical Turing analysis, and give an overview of recent results and future challenges for both approaches. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Recent progress and open frontiers in Turing’s theory of morphogenesis’.

Global Stability of a Lotka-Volterra Competition-Diffusion-Advection System with Different Positive Diffusion Distributions

In this paper, the problem of a Lotka–Volterra competition–diffusion–advection system between two competing biological organisms in a spatially heterogeneous environments is investigated. When two biological organisms are competing for different fundamental resources, and their advection and diffusion strategies follow different positive diffusion distributions, the functions of specific competition ability are variable. By virtue of the Lyapunov functional method, we discuss the global stability of a non-homogeneous steady-state. Furthermore, the global stability result is also obtained when one of the two organisms has no diffusion ability and is not affected by advection.

Beyond Turing: Far-from-equilibrium patterns and mechano-chemical feedback

Turing patterns are commonly understood as specific instabilities of a spatially homogeneous steady state, resulting from activator-inhibitor interaction destabilised by diffusion. We argue that this view is restrictive and its agreement with biological observations is problematic. We present two alternative to the ‘classical’ Turing analysis of patterns. First, we employ the abstract framework of evolution equations to enable the study of far-from-equilibrium patterns. Second, we introduce a mechano-chemical model, with the surface on which the pattern forms being dynamic and playing an active role in the pattern formation, effectively replacing the inhibitor. We highlight the advantages of these two alternatives vis-à-vis the ‘classical’ Turing analysis, and give an overview of recent results and future challenges for both approaches.

Phase Transitions for Nonlinear Nonlocal Aggregation-Diffusion Equations

We are interested in studying the stationary solutions and phase transitions of aggregation equations with degenerate diffusion of porous medium-type, with exponent $$1< m < \infty $$ 1 < m < ∞ . We first prove the existence of possibly infinitely many bifurcations from the spatially homogeneous steady state. We then focus our attention on the associated free energy, proving existence of minimisers and even uniqueness for sufficiently weak interactions. In the absence of uniqueness, we show that the system exhibits phase transitions: we classify values of m and interaction potentials W for which these phase transitions are continuous or discontinuous. Finally, we comment on the limit $$m \rightarrow \infty $$ m → ∞ and the influence that the presence of a phase transition has on this limit.

Stability of the homogeneous steady state for a model of a confined quasi-two-dimensional granular fluid

A linear stability analysis of the hydrodynamic equations of a model for confined quasi-two-dimensional granular gases is carried out. The stability analysis is performed around the homogeneous steady state (HSS) reached eventually by the system after a transient regime. In contrast to previous studies (which considered dilute or quasielastic systems), our analysis is based on the results obtained from the inelastic Enskog kinetic equation, which takes into account the (nonlinear) dependence of the transport coefficients and the cooling rate on dissipation and applies to moderate densities. As in earlier studies, the analysis shows that the HSS is linearly stable with respect to long enough wavelength excitations.

Attractiveness of Constant States in Logistic-Type Keller–Segel Systems Involving Subquadratic Growth Restrictions

The chemotaxis-growth system(⋆)\left\{\begin{aligned} \displaystyle u_{t}&\displaystyle=D\Delta u-\chi\nabla\cdot(u\nabla v)+\rho u-\mu u^{\alpha},\\ \displaystyle v_{t}&\displaystyle=d\Delta v-\kappa v+\lambda u\end{aligned}\right.is considered under homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions in smoothly bounded domains \Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^{n}, n\geq 1. For any choice of \alpha>1, the literature provides a comprehensive result on global existence for widely arbitrary initial data within a suitably generalized solution concept, but the regularity properties of such solutions may be rather poor, as indicated by precedent results on the occurrence of finite-time blow-up in corresponding parabolic-elliptic simplifications. Based on the analysis of a certain eventual Lyapunov-type feature of (⋆), the present work shows that, whenever \alpha\geq 2-\frac{2}{n}, under an appropriate smallness assumption on 𝜒, any such solution at least asymptotically exhibits relaxation by approaching the nontrivial spatially homogeneous steady state \bigl{(}\bigl{(}\frac{\rho}{\mu}\bigr{)}^{\frac{1}{\alpha-1}},\frac{\lambda}{\kappa}\bigl{(}\frac{\rho}{\mu}\bigr{)}^{\frac{1}{\alpha-1}}\bigr{)} in the large time limit.

Patterns in a Modified Leslie–Gower Model with Beddington–DeAngelis Functional Response and Nonlocal Prey Competition

In this paper, we present the theoretical results on the pattern formation of a modified Leslie–Gower diffusive predator–prey system with Beddington–DeAngelis functional response and nonlocal prey competition under Neumann boundary conditions. First, we investigate the local stability of homogeneous steady-state solutions and describe the effect of the nonlocal term on the stability of the positive homogeneous steady-state solution. Lyapunov–Schmidt method is applied to the study of steady-state bifurcation and Hopf bifurcation at the interior of constant steady state. In particular, we investigate the existence, stability and multiplicity of spatially nonhomogeneous steady-state solutions and spatially nonhomogeneous periodic solutions. Furthermore, we present a simple description of the dynamical behaviors of the system around the interaction of steady-state bifurcation curve and Hopf bifurcation curve. Finally, a numerical simulation is provided to show that the nonlocal competition term can destabilize the constant positive steady-state solution and lead to the occurrence of spatially nonhomogeneous steady-state solutions and spatially nonhomogeneous time-periodic solutions.

Spatiotemporal Patterns Formed by a Discrete Nutrient-Phytoplankton Model with Time Delay

In this research, a continuous nutrient-phytoplankton model with time delay and Michaelis–Menten functional response is discretized to a spatiotemporal discrete model. Around the homogeneous steady state of the discrete model, Neimark–Sacker bifurcation and Turing bifurcation analysis are investigated. Based on the bifurcation analysis, numerical simulations are carried out on the formation of spatiotemporal patterns. Simulation results show that the diffusion of phytoplankton and nutrients can induce the formation of Turing-like patterns, while time delay can also induce the formation of cloud-like pattern by Neimark–Sacker bifurcation. Compared with the results generated by the continuous model, more types of patterns are obtained and are compared with real observed patterns.