The population P(t) of a species satisfies the logistic differential equation dp/dt=P{2-(P/5000)}, where initial population P(0)=3000 and t is the time in years. What is the limit P(t) as t tends to infinity?

1 Answer
Jan 17, 2018

# P(t) = (30000e^(2t)) / (7 + 3e^(2t))#

As #t rarr oo# we have:

# lim_(t rarr oo) P(t) = 10000 #

Explanation:

We have:

# (dP)/(dt) = P{2 - (P/5000)} # and #P(0)=3000#

This is a First Order separable ODE, so we can manipulate the DE as follows:

# (dP)/(dt) = P{ (10000 - P)/5000} #

# :. 5000/( P(1000-P) ) \ (dP)/(dt) = 1 #

So we can "separate the variables" to get

# int \ 5000/( P(10000-P) ) \ dP = int \ dt #

The RHS integral is trivial and we can use partial fraction decomposition for the LHS integral:

# 5000/( P(10000-P) ) -= A/P + B/(10000-P) #
# " " = (A(10000-P) + BP)/( P(10000-P) )#

Leading to the identity:

# 5000 -= A(10000-P) + BP #

Where #A,B# are constants that are to be determined. We can find them by substitutions (In practice we do this via the "cover up" method:

Put # P = 0 => 5000 = 10000A => A=1/2#
Put # P=10000 => 10000B=5000 => B = 1/2#

So we can now write the seperated DE as:

# 1/2 int \ 1/P + 1/(10000-P) \ dP = int \ dt #

And we can now integrate to get:

# 1/2 {ln|P| -ln |10000-P| } = t + C #

We now use the initial condition #P(0)=3000#

# 1/2 {ln3000 -ln (10000-3000) } = 0+ C #
# :. C = 1/2 ln (3000/7000) = 1/2ln(3/7)#

So we have the solution:

# 1/2 {ln|P| -ln |10000-P| } = t + 1/2ln(3/7) #

# :. ln|P/(10000-P)| -ln (3/7) = 2t #

# :. ln | (P/(10000-P)) / (3/7) | = 2t #
# :. ln | (7P)/(30000-3P) | = 2t #

Noting that #t# is positive we then have:

# (7P)/(30000-3P) = e^(2t) #

# :. 7P = e^(2t) (30000-3P)#
# :. 7P = 30000e^(2t)-3Pe^(2t)#
# :. 7P + 3Pe^(2t) = 30000e^(2t)#
# :. P(7 + 3e^(2t)) = 30000e^(2t)#
# :. P = (30000e^(2t)) / (7 + 3e^(2t))#

We now want to examine the behaviour of #P(t)# as #t rarr oo#.

# lim_(t rarr oo) P(t) = lim_(t rarr oo) (30000e^(2t)) / (7 + 3e^(2t)) \ e^(-2t)/e^(-2t)#

# " " = lim_(t rarr oo) (30000) / (7e^(-2t) + 3 ) #

# " " = (30000) / (0 + 3 ) #

# " " = 10000 #