Global stability in generalized Lotka-Volterra diffusion systems (Q1078118)

The habitat in a patch-type environment is partitioned into distinct geographic subsystems. Let the subsystems (i.e., patches) with n species be \[ (1)\quad dx^ k_ i/dt=x^ k_ i[q_ i-f_ i(x^ k_ 1,...,x^ k_ n)], \] where \(i=1,...,n\), \(k=1,...,m\); n and m are the numbers of species and patches, respectively. Adding diffusion to the subsystems (1) yields the following ODE's: \[ (2)\quad dx^ k_ i/dt=x^ k_ i[q_ i-f_ i(x^ k_ 1,...,x^ k_ n)]+\sum_{j\neq k}D_ i\quad^{kj}(x^ j_ i-x^ k_ i), \] where \(D_ i^{kj}\) is a diffusion coefficient from patch j to patch k for species i. Suppose all the diffusion constants are positive (i.e. each species disperses from areas of higher population density to areas of lower population density), and \(D_ i^{kj}=D_ i^{jk}.\) The author considers the global stability property of (2) and compares it with the stability property of (1). The theorems obtained show that the system with large or small diffusion is globally stable if each patch without diffusion is globally stable. A natural extension of the method for the system without diffusion is used, cf. the author and \textit{N. Adachi}, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 79, 141-162 (1981; Zbl 0447.34031). The author also discusses the relationship between an equilibrium point and a solution of the complementarity problem.