Approximating of unstable cycles in nonlinear autonomous systems (Q1376732)

Consider the autonomous system \((*)\) \(dx/dt =f(x)\) with \(f \in C^1 (\mathbb{R}^n , \mathbb{R}^n)\). Let \(\Gamma\) be an isolated periodic orbit to \((*)\) with minimal period \( T > 0\). Let \(\varphi (t,x)\) be the flow defined by \((*)\), let \((a,x)=b\) be a hyperplane in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) transversally intersecting \(\Gamma\) at \(x=x_*\). The problem of computation of \(\Gamma\) is equivalent to the problem of computation of a solution to \((**)\) \(x = p(t,x), (a,x)=b\). The authors prove the convergence of an iteration scheme solving \((**)\) which is based on the gradient method. Moreover, they prove the convergence of an algorithm to compute \(\Gamma\) which is based on the method of functionalization of the period. By means of a general result about the approximation of a critical point of a functional in a Hilbert space the authors present an algorithm to compute a periodic solution to the differential-delay system \(dx(t)/dt = ax(t)-f(x(t-a))\).