A universal unfolding of the Lorenz system

A universal unfolding of the Lorenz system is derived and studied in this paper. Both rigorous theoretical analysis and numerical simulations show that the Lorenz system, the Chen system, and the Lü system belong to the same universal unfolding. Therefore, they all have similar dynamical behaviors in the sense that if the Lorenz system has limit cycles produced from a Hopf bifurcation for a certain set of parameter values, then the other two systems also have limit cycles from the same set of parameter values; and if the Lorenz, Chen, and Lü systems are chaotic for some parameter values (for example, some typical parameter values), respectively, then the homotopic system for the Lorenz system and the Chen system, and the homotopic system for these three systems, are all chaotic within the entire domain of these homotopic parameters.