Minimum nonlinearity for pattern-forming Turing instability in a mathematical autocatalytic model

Abstract

Pattern formation is ubiquitous in nature and the mechanism widely-accepted to underlay them is based on the Turing instability, predicted by Alan Turing decades ago. This is a non-trivial mechanism that involves nonlinear interaction terms between the different species involved and transport mechanisms. We present here a mathematical analysis aiming to explore the mathematical constraints that a reaction-diffusion dynamical model should comply in order to exhibit a Turing instability. The main conclusion limits the existence of this instability to nonlinearity degrees larger or equal to three.