Understanding the phase portraits.

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Figure 2 here represents the bifurcation diagram for the equation $\dot{x}=\mu - x^2.$ Clearly for $\mu < 0$ there are no critical points. Since $Df(x)=-2x$ the trajectory is stable for $x >0$ and unstable for $x <0,$ depicted by the solid and dashed lines respectively. I know if a critical point is stable arrows move towards, and away if it is unstable. Can someone explain me how the phase portraits have been drawn for the three instances. Thank you.

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We check the dynamical system for equilibria in the typical way (indicating with $x_e$ the equilibria and assuming $x_e \in \mathbb{R}$)

$$\dot x_e=0 \Leftrightarrow x_e^2=\mu \Leftrightarrow x_e \in\begin{cases} \{-\sqrt{\mu},\sqrt{\mu} \} &,\mu>0 \\ \{0\} &,\mu=0 \\ \{\} &,\mu<0\end{cases}$$

We already see that for $\mu>0$ we have two equilirbia, for $\mu=0$ one and for $\mu<0$ none, as seen in figure 1. The stability is left. As you computed correctly $Df(x)=-2x$ therefore

$$Df(x_e)=\begin{cases} \mp2 \sqrt{\mu} &,\mu>0\\ 0&,\mu=0 \end{cases}$$

Therefore in the case $\mu>0$ we get that $-\sqrt{\mu}$ is stable and $\sqrt{\mu}$ is unstable. We see in figure one that the trajectories move to right equilibrium $\sqrt{\mu}$ and move away $-\sqrt{\mu}$, exactly like we computed.

For $\mu=0$ we just have $x'=-x^2<0$ for $x\neq 0$ so we always move to the left if we follow one trajectory - except for $x=0$ which stays in its point since it is a equilibrium. The same holds for $x'=\mu-x^2<0$ for all $x  \in \mathbb{R}$.

Now figure 2 takes all this into a bifurcation diagram. You see that for $\mu<0$ there is no 'graph' (no equilibrium) and for $\mu=0$ only one point (one equilibrium). For $\mu>0$ we know have this nice bifurcation indicating $\sqrt{\mu}$ and $-\sqrt{\mu}$.

All in all you just draw the function $\mu=x^2=:f(x)$ (setting $\dot x=0$ in the differential equation). To see this just tilt your head a bit and look at the $x$-$\mu$-diagram and not the $\mu$-$x$-diagram.