Emergent non-Hermitian physics in generalized Lotka-Volterra model

Abstract: In this paper, we study the non-Hermitian physics emerging from a predator-prey ecological model described by a generalized Lotka-Volterra equation. In the phase space, this nonlinear equation exhibits both chaotic and localized dynamics, which are separated by a critical point. These distinct dynamics originate from the interplay between the periodicity and non-Hermiticity of the effective Hamiltonian in the linearized equation of motion. Moreover, the dynamics at the critical point, such as algebraic divergence, can be understood as an exceptional point in the context of non-Hermitian physics.