Home▸Ecology & Conservation Biology▸May's Stability Limit — Random Food Web Simulator

May's Stability Limit — Random Food Web Simulator (2D)

Interactive 2D eigenvalue-spectrum view of the generalized Lotka-Volterra random food web: build a random community matrix from species count, connectance and interaction strength, watch its eigenvalues computed live with a from-scratch QR algorithm, and verify Robert May's complexity-stability criterion statistically over many random draws.

Ecology & Conservation Biology2DAdvanced60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version

Build a random multi-species generalized Lotka-Volterra food web and watch Robert May's complexity-stability criterion (σ√(SC) vs. self-regulation d) play out live as populations rise, oscillate or collapse.

This 2D companion trades the animated food web for the mathematics underneath it: the actual eigenvalues of the random community matrix, computed live by a from-scratch numerical algorithm and plotted on the complex plane next to May's theoretical stability boundary. Reseed the web to see one random draw, or turn on live sampling to draw hundreds of independent random webs in a row and watch the empirical fraction that come out stable converge on the theoretical prediction — the complexity-stability transition made statistically visible rather than asserted.

⚙ Under the hood

ecologyfood webLotka-Volterrapopulation dynamicscomplexity-stabilityrandom matrix

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install