Existence and approximation of solutions of a class of functional equations including ordinary differential equations (Q1075485)

In this paper the author considers the functional equation (1) \(x(t)=F(x,t)\), \(a\leq t\leq b\) where \(X:[a,b]\to E^ d\) and X, F are continuous. This equation may include initial value problems of ODE's of type \(X'(t)=f(X(t),t)\), \(X(t_ 0)=X_ 0\) or boundary value problems in the form \(X(t)=\int^{b}_{a}K(t,s)X(s)ds\) or equations such as \(X'(t)=X(f(t))\) or \(X'(t)=X(X(t))\) which are already not ordinary differential equations. \textit{L. W. Neustadt} [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 38, 131-160 (1970; Zbl 0208.167)] investigated an equation like (1). Differing substantially from it, in this paper the author presents some general results on the existence of solutions of (1). He uses the Brouwer fixed point theorem to find sequences of approximate polygonal solutions converging to an actual solutions of (1). The method provides an effective computation of approximate solutions and bears some resemblance to those used to prove the existence of solutions of ordinary differential equation but it is more generally applicable and conceptually simpler.