Evolution with time of the mass transfer rate, ﹩\dot{M}﹩, and orbital period, P_orb, for several model cataclysmic variable systems. Left: the evolution of a single CV with initial masses (﹩M_{2}=0.9\,M_{\odot }﹩; ﹩M_{\mathrm{WD}\,}=1.1﹩ M_⊙). This system first comes into Roche lobe contact at ﹩P_{\mathrm{orb}\,}=6﹩ hr and evolves through the period gap to the minimum in P_orb and back up to longer periods by 10¹⁰ yr. Right: the evolutions of a selection of four other illustrative initial binary constituent masses, M₂, ﹩M_{\mathrm{WD}\,}=0.2﹩, 0.4 (solid line), 0.35, 0.35 (dotted line), 0.3, 0.6 (dashed line), and 0.65, 0.7 (long‐dashed lined), all in units of M_⊙.