An iterative scheme for the \(N\)-competing species problem (Q1345303)

The author considers the Lotka-Volterra system \[ u_ i' = u_ i \left[ a_ i(t) - \sum^ n_{j = 1} b_{ij} (t)u_ j \right], \quad (1 \leq i \leq n), \tag{1} \] where \(a_ i\), \(b_{ij} : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}\) are positive, continuous functions of period \(T > 0\). He begins by showing that for each \(i\) the logistic equation \(x' = x[a_ i(t) - b_{ii} (t)x]\) has a unique positive, \(T\)-periodic solution \(U_ i\). Now let \(J(i) = \{1,2, \dots, n\} - \{i)\). Then subject to the hypothesis that with \(U_ i\) as above, \[ \int^ T_ 0 \Bigl[ a_ i(t) - \sum_{j \in J(i)} b_{ij} (t)U_ j(t) \Bigr] dt > 0, \quad (1 \leq i \leq n) \] he proves that (1) has a \(T\)-periodic solution \(u\) with each coordinate \(u_ i > 0\). The proof uses the iterative scheme \[ u_{i0} = 0\;(1 \leq i \leq n), \quad u_{ik}' = u_{ik} \Bigl[ a_ i - b_{ii} u_{ik} - \sum_{j \in J (i)} b_{ij} u_{j,k - 1} \Bigr], \tag{2} \] where \(k = 1,2, \dots\) . This improves earlier work listed in detail in the paper, and arises as corollaries to theorems that the author proves about systems of the Kolmogoroff form (3) \(u_ i' = F_ i(t,u_ 1, \dots, u_ n)\), \((1 \leq i \leq n)\), where the functions \(F_ i : \mathbb{R} \times \mathbb{R}^ n \to \mathbb{R}\) are continuous and \(T\)-periodic. He considers first the case \(n = 1\), and then uses an iterative scheme that specialises to (2) and leads to a solution of (3). The subsidiary hypotheses are too detailed to give here, but concern monotonicity in the space variables. Next, the author proves uniqueness and stability results for solutions to (1), with some a priori estimates. He also shows that various hypotheses can be weakened in technical ways. A particular result is that if in (1), each ratio \(b_{ij}/a_ i\) is constant, and \(\sum_{j \in J (i)} b_{ij} a_ j/b_{jj} < a_ j\), \((1 \leq i \leq n)\), then all positive solutions \(u(t)\) of (1) converge to the same point \(u = (u_ i)\) with \(u_ i > 0\), \((1 \leq i \leq n)\).