Necessary and sufficient conditions for ''zero crossing'' in integrodifferential equations (Q1177406)

The authors establish conditions under which all solutions \(x(t)\) of the integrodifferential equation \((d/dt)[x(t)-cx(t-\tau)]+a\int_ 0^ \infty K(s)x(t-s)ds=0\) vanish at least once on \((-\infty,\infty)\) where \(a\in(0,\infty)\), \(c\in[0,1)\), \(\tau\in[0,\infty)\). If \(K\) is ultimately non-increasing and \(K\not\equiv0\) on some subinterval of \([0,\infty)\) then it is shown that nontrivial solutions \(x(t)\) will possess such zeros (called zero crossings) provided the associated characteristic equation, viz., \(\lambda(1-ce^{-\lambda\tau})+a\int_ 0^ \infty K(s)e^{- \lambda s}ds=0\) possesses no real roots. \noindent The authors prove that all nontrivial solutions \(x(t)\) have zero crossings if \(a\int_ 0^ \infty K(s)s ds>(1-c)/e\) or \((a+c)\int_ 0^ \infty K(s)ds>1/e\). They consider also the logistic integrodifferential equation \(dN(t)/dt=rN(t)[1-C^{-1}\int_ 0^ \infty K(s)N(t-s)ds]\) where \(r,C\in(0,\infty)\), \(N(0)>0\), \(N(s)\geq0\) for \(s\in(-\infty,0]\), \(K:[0,\infty)\to[0,\infty)\) and \(\int_ 0^ \infty K(s)ds=1\). If \(K\) is ultimately non-increasing and \(K\not\equiv0\) on some subinterval of \([0,\infty)\) then all positive solutions \(N(t)\) possess ''level crossings'', i.e., \(N(t^*)=C\) for some \(t^*\in(- \infty,\infty)\), if \(r\int_ 0^ \infty K(s)e^{\lambda s}ds>\lambda\) for \(\lambda\in(0,\infty)\).