The propagation of nonlinear electrical impulses in neuronal media can be modeled through nonlinear fractional differential equations that incorporate the memory and hereditary characteristics of biological tissues. The motivation of this study is to provide a comprehensive analytical and dynamical investigation of the time-fractional nonlinear neuron model (TFNNM), with the aim of obtaining explicit wave structures and gaining deeper insight into the qualitative behavior of the model. From an analytical perspective, the study seeks to derive exact traveling-wave solutions that can characterize different nonlinear wave patterns, including dark, periodic, and kink-type structures. From a dynamical perspective, the study aims to explore the underlying phase-space behavior of the reduced system by examining its Hamiltonian structure, equilibrium points, and their stability and classification. In particular, the identification of center, saddle, and degenerate cusp configurations under appropriate parameter conditions on $ A, B $, and $ C $ provides a systematic understanding of the possible dynamical regimes of the model. Thus, the study is motivated by the need to combine exact solution techniques with dynamical-systems analysis to obtain a more complete understanding of the nonlinear behavior and wave propagation characteristics of the TFNNM. Moreover, the phase portraits demonstrate that the signs of dynamical parameters strongly control the number and type of real equilibrium points and consequently determine the topology of the phase space. Eight representative parameter regimes are examined, showing configurations containing a central equilibrium surrounded by saddle structures, two center-type equilibria separated by a saddle, and regimes in which the nonzero equilibria become imaginary. The obtained dynamical behavior provides a qualitative interpretation of the traveling-wave structures and establishes a direct connection between the parameter space, equilibrium configurations, and nonlinear wave dynamics. These results enhance the understanding of fractional neuron wave propagation and provide a useful analytical framework for studying nonlinear signal transmission in biological media.
Citation: Faisal Hayat Shaheen, Amal Alabdullatif, Khizar Farooq. Fractional nonlinear wave dynamics for neural signal processing in bioengineering: Hamiltonian bifurcations and exact soliton solutions[J]. AIMS Mathematics, 2026, 11(10): 33964-33993. doi: 10.3934/math.20261325
The propagation of nonlinear electrical impulses in neuronal media can be modeled through nonlinear fractional differential equations that incorporate the memory and hereditary characteristics of biological tissues. The motivation of this study is to provide a comprehensive analytical and dynamical investigation of the time-fractional nonlinear neuron model (TFNNM), with the aim of obtaining explicit wave structures and gaining deeper insight into the qualitative behavior of the model. From an analytical perspective, the study seeks to derive exact traveling-wave solutions that can characterize different nonlinear wave patterns, including dark, periodic, and kink-type structures. From a dynamical perspective, the study aims to explore the underlying phase-space behavior of the reduced system by examining its Hamiltonian structure, equilibrium points, and their stability and classification. In particular, the identification of center, saddle, and degenerate cusp configurations under appropriate parameter conditions on $ A, B $, and $ C $ provides a systematic understanding of the possible dynamical regimes of the model. Thus, the study is motivated by the need to combine exact solution techniques with dynamical-systems analysis to obtain a more complete understanding of the nonlinear behavior and wave propagation characteristics of the TFNNM. Moreover, the phase portraits demonstrate that the signs of dynamical parameters strongly control the number and type of real equilibrium points and consequently determine the topology of the phase space. Eight representative parameter regimes are examined, showing configurations containing a central equilibrium surrounded by saddle structures, two center-type equilibria separated by a saddle, and regimes in which the nonzero equilibria become imaginary. The obtained dynamical behavior provides a qualitative interpretation of the traveling-wave structures and establishes a direct connection between the parameter space, equilibrium configurations, and nonlinear wave dynamics. These results enhance the understanding of fractional neuron wave propagation and provide a useful analytical framework for studying nonlinear signal transmission in biological media.
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