The BROCODE model: a novel mathematical model for the Briggs–Rauscher reaction

Abstract We propose a new mathematical model of the Briggs–Rauscher reaction. This is an oscillatory phenomenon which is characterised by fluctuations in the concentrations of the various chemicals involved. A well-regarded existing model involves a complex reaction mechanism described by 15 differential equations. We derive a novel approximate mathematical model that consists only of three equations, for the concentrations of iodous acid, iodide, and molecular iodine. We demonstrate that this three-variable approximation is nevertheless in good agreement with the predictions of far more elaborate models, and it offers the possibility of yielding to detailed mathematical analysis not available with more complex models. We show that our novel three-variable description is in excellent accord with previously-reported experimental work. It is able to reproduce key details of the observed periodic oscillations, including their period and amplitude and precise features of their behaviour with time.