Complete characterization of the sign of the wave speed in the symmetric Lotka-Volterra system under strong competition

Abstract

This paper provides a complete characterization of the sign of the propagation speed in the symmetric two-species Lotka-Volterra competition-diffusion model under strong competition. The system admits a unique bistable travelling front and the sign of its speed determines which of the two species invades the other. We prove that for every strong competition intensity greater than $1$ and every diffusion ratio $d\neq1$, the travelling front propagates so as to expand the territory occupied by the faster-diffusing species. The front has a zero speed exactly when $d=1$. We also establish the smooth dependence of the wave speed and the travelling front on the model parameters. The main step in the sign characterization is to prove that a monotone standing front cannot exist when the diffusion rates are different. Combined with continuity of the wave speed with respect to the parameters, the species-exchange symmetry of the system, and an explicit travelling front at a particular parameter value, we obtain the sign of the propagation speed throughout the entire parameter region. This establishes the ``Unity is not strength'' theorem, which was previously known only in restricted parameter regimes.