Two delays may not destabilize although either delay can (Q1081558)

In a model of two interacting species, having a stable fixed point in the absence of delay, and in which a long enough delay in either one of the self-interactions can destabilize this fixed point, equal delays in each of these interactions can not destabilize. The interspecies interactions are taken as free from delay and as contributing to stability of the fixed point, as in a prey-predator model. The delays are treated in the discrete form, or in two commonly used forms of distributed delays. Numerical results are presented indicating that this stability result also applies in a range of ratios, around 1, of the two delays.