Exponential stability in a scalar functional differential equation (Q2471885)

The authors consider the equation \[ x'(t)= L(x_t)+ g(t, x_t), \] where \(L: C\to\mathbb{R}\) is a linear functional, \(g: \mathbb{R}^+\times C\to\mathbb{R}\) is continuous and satisfies \(|g(t,\varphi)|\leq \gamma\|\varphi\|\), \(t\in\mathbb{R}^+\), \(\varphi\in C([- r,0]; \mathbb{R})\). \(x_t\) is defined by \(x_t(\theta)= x(t+\theta)\), \(-r\leq\theta\leq 0\), \(r\in [0,\infty)\). Assume \(L(\varphi)+ \mu\varphi(0)> 0\), for \(\varphi\in C\) and some \(\mu> 0\) and \(\varphi> 0\) with respect to a particular exponential ordering. Assume also \(\gamma< -L(e_0)\), where \(e_0(\theta)\) identically 1. It is shown that then the zero solution is exponentially stable. The paper is related to [\textit{I. Györi}, Differ. Integral Equ. 3, No. 1, 181--200 (1990; Zbl 0726.34054)].