Systems of parabolic equations with continuous and discrete delays (Q1353817)

Existence and asymptotic behaviour for delay-diffusion equations of the form \[ {\partial u_i\over\partial t}- L_iu_i= f_i(t,x,u,J* u)\quad (t>0, x\in\Omega), \] \[ B_iu_i= h_i(t,x)\;(t>0, x\in\partial\Omega),\;u_i(t,x)= \eta_i(t,x)\;(t<0, x\in\Omega), \] where \(J*u= (J_1* u_1,\dots,J_N* u_N)\) and \[ J_i* u_i= \begin{cases} \int^t_{-\infty} J_i(t- s,x)u_i(s,x)ds\quad\text{when }i=1,\dots,n_0\\ u_i(t- r_i,x)\quad\text{when }i= n_0+1,\dots,N\end{cases} \] is studied. The main technical approach for existence is by replacing the system by a sequence of linear approximations of the form \[ {\partial u^{(k)}_i\over\partial t}- L_iu^{(k)}_i+ K_i u^{(k)}_i= K_iu^{(k-1)}_i+ \widehat f_i(t,x,u^{(k-1)}, J*u^{(k-1)}), \] where \(\widehat f\) is a truncated version of \(f\) and \(K_i\) is the Lipschitz constant of \(\widehat f_i\). Convergence is proved by a standard fixed-point argument. Comparison methods are used to prove upper and lower bounds on the solutions and a number of examples is given including a logistic model, a Volterra-Lotka cooperative model and a coupled chemical reaction system.