Phase Plane Plot of the Van der Pol Differential Equation

λ

0.2

k

1

This shows the phase plane plot (

x'(t)

versus

x(t)

) of the van der Pol nonlinear differential equation

x''(t)-λ1-

2

x(t)

x'(t)+kx(t)=0

.

Click the phase plane plot to set the initial conditions for

x(0)

and

x'0)

. The solution always ends up in a limit cycle.