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Dfield/Pplane User Manual: Nancy Chen Math 19 Fall 2004

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128 views7 pages

Dfield/Pplane User Manual: Nancy Chen Math 19 Fall 2004

Uploaded by

Clara Cobba
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Dfield/Pplane

User Manual

Nancy Chen
Math 19
Fall 2004
Introduction

Dfield & pplane are programs designed for phase plane analysis of differential equations.
Dfield is used on first order differential equations of the form x´ = f(t,x), while pplane is used
for a system of differential equations of the form x´ = f(x,y), y´ = g(x,y). As pplane includes
all functions available in dfield, a discussion of pplane will be sufficient.

Getting Started

Free Java version is available at http://math.rice.edu/~dfield/dfpp.html

Browser Specifications
Java 1.1.6 enabled
•PCs: Netscape 6 works best, but IE works too (you do need to configure for printing)
•Macs: only works on Mozilla

When the program first starts, it opens 4 windows: PPLANE Equation Window, PPLANE
Messages, PPLANE Phase Plane, and a PPLANE copyright window. Click OK to continue.

•PPLANE Equation Window: here you enter in your equations, specify parameters and set
window size for your graph
•PPLANE Messages: displays coordinates, possible solutions, eigenvalues, etc. when you
calculate orbits or equilibrium points
•PPLANE Phase Plane: the actual graph. You can graph nullclines, trajectories (aka orbits),
x(t) vs t, find equilibrium points, etc.

Fig. 1: windows at the start of pplane 2


Graphing Systems of Differential Equations

Enter your
system of
equations here

Change
Enter dimensions
parameters of the
here display
window here

Fig. 2: the PPLANE Equation Window showing how to graph a system of


differential equations.

Entering in the Equations


Type in your equations at the top part of the PPLANE Equation Window. You can use
whatever variables you want; there’s no need to stick to x & y. You’ll get red error messages
as you’re typing in the equation—ignore them.

Defining Parameters
You may have constants in your equations (e.g. a for the system of equations describing
populations of right-handed & left-handed snails). Be sure to define them in the “Parameter
Expressions” section of the PPLANE Equation Window. This is useful because you can
easily study several different systems (e.g. snail populations for different a values).

Changing the Display Window


In the “Display Window” section of the PPLANE Equation Window, you can define the
range of x & y values you want to graph. It’s pretty self-explanatory.

Graphing
Finally, click Graph Phase Plane to graph your system.

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Graphing Trajectories/Orbits
Note: Everything from now on refers to the PPLANE Phase Plane window unless specified
otherwise.

Changing the Slope Field


From the Options menu, select Direction Field Settings to change the number of rows and
columns, the way the field is displayed and computation settings

Graphing solution curves (trajectories/orbits)


Click on the point from which you want a trajectory. The PPLANE Messages window will
display the point you clicked on and any possible equilibrium points or solutions nearby.

Erasing Orbits
Go to Edit and select Delete Orbit or Delete All Orbits

Changing directions
To specify whether you want to graph the orbit in the forward (t>0), backward (t<0), or both
directions, go to Options then Solution Direction to choose.

Fig. 3: An orbit going in both directions; the message


associated with that orbit, and the direction field setting box.
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Changing time delay
You can make the orbit move slower so you can watch its motion. Go to
Options and click on the desired speed at Delay Time per Point.

Inputting the initial value


To manually choose the starting point for a solution curve,
go to the Solution menu and click on Keyboard Input of
Initial Value. Enter in the initial value and then click Solve.

Other options
•Points
•From the Options menu, click on Show Points to show
each point on an orbit.
Fig. 4: Initial value input box.
•Cross hairs
•To make it easier to see the coordinates of your mouse (as you move it around the
graph), click on Show cross-hairs in the Options menu.
•Zoom
•To zoom in, go to Edit and pick the zoom you want.

Fig. 5: (left) Options menu & orbit with points shown. (right): Crosshairs give the location of the mouse.

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Analyzing Stability
Graphing nullclines
From the Solutions menu, click Show Nullclines for just the nullclines or Show Nullclings
+ Arrows for the arrows as well.

Finding equilibrium points


You can find equilibrium points by selecting Find an Equilibrium Point from the
Solutions menu and clicking at a point on the graph. The coordinates of the point, the
Jacobian, eigenvalues and eigenvectors for the point are displayed in the PPLANE
Messages window. An easy way to view the equilibrium points is to click on Equilibrium
Point Linearization in the Solutions menu.

Fig. 6: (right) a graph of the nullclines with


arrows. Equilibrium points are displayed.
(bottom) the PPLANE Messages window
displaying information about the
equilibrium point.

Graphing x vs t
From the Graph menu, select x vs. t
or whatever option you want. Then
click on the desired solution curve,
and a window with the graph should
pop up. The vertical lines made by
clicking on the graph can be erased
by clicking Restore.

Fig. 7: a graph of x vs. t and y vs. t

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Other Stuff
Printing
Click File and then Print. Note that IE users may need configuration before printing:
•From the Tools menu choose "Internet Options".
•Click the button labeled "Security".
•Near the bottom, click the button labeled "Custom Level ...".
•Click the button labeled "Java Custom Settings" on the bottom left of the screen.
•Click the tab labeled "Edit Permissions".
•In the menu look for "Unsigned Content --> Run Unsigned Content --> Additional Unsigned
Permissions --> Printing". Under this heading, click "Enable.".
•Exit out of all of the windows, making sure that your new option is activated.
•Restart your computer.

Templates of Common Differential Equation Systems


In the PPLANE Equations Window, the Gallery menu contains many common systems of
differential equations such as the predator-prey system. You can even save other systems (e.g.
the right-handed & left-handed snails model) in the gallery.

That’s all Folks


That pretty much covers the basics of pplane that you’ll need. The best way to learn pplane is
just to play around with it. You’ll find that it’s pretty simple.

If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask me, Ana or Prof. Judson for help.

Fig. 8: the gallery menu


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