A pitchfork bifurcation is a type of bifurcation where a stable equilibrium point becomes unstable, leading to the emergence of two new stable equilibrium points. This phenomenon often occurs in dynamical systems and indicates a critical point where the behavior of the system changes dramatically. The pitchfork bifurcation is crucial for understanding how small changes in parameters can lead to significant changes in system behavior, making it relevant to concepts of attractors and overall bifurcation theory.
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