Skip to main content
Log in

Explicit solutions of Fisher's equation for a special wave speed

  • Published:
Bulletin of Mathematical Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The travelling waves for Fisher's equation are shown to be of a simple nature for the special wave speeds\(c = \pm 5/\sqrt {(6)} \). In this case the equation is shown to be of Painlevé type, i.e. solutions admit only poles as movable singularities. The general solution for this wave speed is found and a method is presented that can be applied to the solution of other nonlinear equations of biological and physical interest.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature

  • Ablowitz, M. J., A. Ramani, and H. Segur. 1978. Lettre at Nuovo Cimento, accepted for publication.

  • Abramowitz, M. and I. Stegun. 1965.Handbook of Mathematical Functions. New York: Dover.

    Google Scholar 

  • Canosa, J. 1969. “Diffusion in Nonlinear Multiplicative Media.”J. Math. Phys.,10, 1862.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fife, P. C. 1978. “Asymptotic States for Equations of Reaction and Diffusion.”.Bull Am. Math. Soc.,84, 693–726.

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, R. A. 1936. “The Wave of Advance of an Advantageous Gene.”Ann. Eugen. 7, 355–369.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoppensteadt, F. C. 1975.Mathematical Theories of Populations: Demographics, Genetics and Epidemics. CMBS Vol. 20, Philadelphia: SIAM Publication.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Ince, E. I. 1956.Ordinary Differential Equations. New York: Dover.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolmogorov, A., I. Petrovskii and N. Piskunov 1937. “Étude de l'Équation de la Diffusion avec Croissance de la Quantité de la Matière et Son Application à un Problème Biologique.”Moscow Univ. Bull. Math.,1, 1–25.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Lefschetz, S. 1963:Differential Equations: Geometric Theory, 2nd ed., pp. 95–111. New York: Interscience.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • McKean, H. P.. 1975. “Application of Brownian Motion to the Equation of Kolmogorov-Petrovskii-Piskunov.”Communs Pure appl. Math. 28, 323–331.

    MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Zeppetella, A. and M. J. Ablowitz. 1978. “On Solutions of Some Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations with Applications to Fisher's Equations.” To be submitted toSIAM J. Appl. Math.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ablowitz, M.J., Zeppetella, A. Explicit solutions of Fisher's equation for a special wave speed. Bltn Mathcal Biology 41, 835–840 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02462380

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02462380

Keywords

Navigation