Reaction and diffusion on growing domains: scenarios for robust pattern formation

Bull Math Biol. 1999 Nov;61(6):1093-120. doi: 10.1006/bulm.1999.0131.

Abstract

We investigate the sequence of patterns generated by a reaction-diffusion system on a growing domain. We derive a general evolution equation to incorporate domain growth in reaction-diffusion models and consider the case of slow and isotropic domain growth in one spatial dimension. We use a self-similarity argument to predict a frequency-doubling sequence of patterns for exponential domain growth and we find numerically that frequency-doubling is realized for a finite range of exponential growth rate. We consider pattern formation under different forms for the growth and show that in one dimension domain growth may be a mechanism for increased robustness of pattern formation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Animals
  • Body Patterning / physiology*
  • Growth / physiology
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Models, Biological*