×

Biological receptor scheme for the robust synchronization of limit cycle oscillators. (English) Zbl 0999.92001

Summary: Using the conceptual similarity of biological receptors and limit cycle oscillators, the coupled equations \(dP_j/dt= F_j(P_j,R_j)\) and \(dR_j/dt= G_j(P_j+\gamma \sum^N_{l=1} P_l,R_j)\), where \(\gamma\) is an arbitrary positive number that is chosen to correspond to the sensitivity of a biological receptor, were derived as a system exhibiting robust global synchronization of limit cycle oscillators when individual limit cycles are expressed as \(dP_j/dt=F_j (P_j,R_j)\) and \(dR_j/dt= G_j(P_j,R_j)\). Despite the broad distribution of natural frequencies, in a numerical study 100 van der Pol oscillators became globally synchronized and two van der Pol oscillators became synchronized even when the ratio of natural frequencies was as large as 100. It was also shown that the amplitude of the individual van der Pol oscillator is proportional to the square of the corresponding natural frequency in the synchronized state, and oscillators with higher natural frequencies maintain larger amplitudes.

MSC:

92B05 General biology and biomathematics
92C05 Biophysics
34C05 Topological structure of integral curves, singular points, limit cycles of ordinary differential equations
34C60 Qualitative investigation and simulation of ordinary differential equation models
92-08 Computational methods for problems pertaining to biology
Full Text: DOI