Dynamical Analysis of Fractional Whitham–Broer–Kaup Systems Under Deterministic and Stochastic Effects
Atef Abdelkader, Maham Munawar, Adil Jhangeer, Mudassar ImranThe fractional Whitham–Broer–Kaup model governs nonlinear wave propagation in memory-dependent media, including porous structures, viscoelastic fluids, and irregular seabeds, yet the full dynamical spectrum from quasi-periodicity to deterministic chaos, the role of stochastic forcing, and reliable identification from noisy data remains insufficiently explored, particularly how the fractional order β influences these regimes. This study addresses these gaps through a comprehensive, multi-method dynamical analysis of a representative nonlinear oscillator embodying key FWBK features. Three-dimensional attractor visualizations, return maps, and surrogate data tests demonstrate a transition from quasi-periodic toroidal attractors to fully developed chaos via torus breakdown, confirming that observed complexity originates from deterministic nonlinearity. Poincaré sections reveal multistability and KAM-type structures, where coexisting attractors depend on initial conditions, while increasing noise progressively disrupts coherent dynamics. The OGY control method effectively stabilizes unstable periodic orbits across chaotic regimes with minimal perturbation, and Lyapunov analysis indicates that stochastic forcing attenuates chaos while enhancing dissipation. The Fokker–Planck framework shows that noise reshapes probability landscapes, driving transitions from unimodal to bimodal distributions. Comparative analysis of SINDy, JMAP and VBA highlights trade-offs in interpretability, computational efficiency, and uncertainty quantification, while an integrated Bayesian–PCE–Sobol approach quantifies parametric uncertainty and reveals time-dependent sensitivity variations. Additionally, the overlapping of soliton solutions extracted via the enhanced modified Sardar sub-equation method reveals structural relationships among soliton families and their stability under interaction. Soliton branches that maintain high overlap under noise correspond to stable regimes, while those losing coherence indicate the onset of chaos. Furthermore, while the reduced dynamics in η-space are independent of β, the fractional order controls spatial compression and temporal scaling in physical coordinates, directly influencing observable wave localization. These results imply that fractional effects can modify chaos transitions, support controllability through OGY, and influence noise–instability interactions depending on β. This framework provides a robust, transferable methodology for analyzing and controlling nonlinear oscillatory systems under deterministic and stochastic conditions, with direct applications to FWBK-based models in coastal engineering, fiber optics, and quantum interference systems.