Science:Math Exam Resources/Courses/MATH102/December 2014/Question C 02 (b)/Hint 1

A steady state is stable if states that are initially close enough to that steady state will get closer to it with time. A steady state is unstable, if states that are initially very close to it eventually move away from that steady state. For example, if we start above(below) a steady state, and the derivative $dc/dt$ is positive(negative), then the state will increase(decrease) and eventually move away from the steady state so it is an unstable steady state.