bifurcation vs ramification

bifurcation

noun
  • A division into two branches. 

  • The act of bifurcating; branching or dividing in two. 

  • The point where a channel divides when proceeding from seaward. 

  • A place where two roads, tributaries etc. part or meet. 

  • Any place where one thing divides into two. 

  • Either of the forks or other branches resultant from such a division. 

  • A command that executes one block or other of commands depending on the result of a condition. 

  • The change in the qualitative or topological structure of a given family as described by bifurcation theory. 

ramification

noun
  • An arrangement of branches. 

  • A branching-out, the act or result of developing branches; specifically the divergence of the stem and limbs of a plant into smaller ones, or of similar developments in blood vessels, anatomical structures etc. 

  • An offshoot of a decision, fact etc.; a consequence or implication, especially one which complicates a situation. 

How often have the words bifurcation and ramification occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )