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Bifurcation points induced by cyclic symmetries
Thomas Wanner (George Mason University)
Location: Hill 705
Date & time: Tuesday, 25 April 2023 at 11:00AM - 12:00PM
Diblock copolymers are a class of materials formed by the reaction of two linear polymers. The different structures taken on by these polymers grant them special properties, which can prove useful in applications such as the development of new adhesives and asphalt additives. We consider a model for the formation of diblock copolymers first proposed by Ohta and Kawasaki, which is a Cahn-Hilliard-like equation together with a nonlocal term. Unlike the Cahn-Hilliard model, even on one-dimensional spatial domains the steady state bifurcation diagram of the Ohta-Kawasaki model is still not fully understood. We therefore present computer-assisted proof techniques which can be used to validate and continue its bifurcation points. This includes not only fold points, but also pitchfork bifurcations which are the result of a cyclic group action beyond forcing through $\Z_2$ symmetries.