On periodic solutions to systems of differential equations with deviating arguments (Q1576561)

The authors investigate the differential system \[ \frac{dx_i(t)}{dt}=f_i(t,x_1(\tau_{i1}(t)), \dots ,x_n(\tau_{in}(t))), \quad i=1,\dots ,n, \tag{1} \] where the functions \(f_i:\mathbb{R}\times \mathbb{R}^n\to \mathbb{R}\), \(i=1,\dots, n\), satisfy the local Carathéodory conditions and are \(\omega\)-periodic in the first argument; \(\tau_{ik}:\mathbb{R}\to \mathbb{R}\), \(i,k=1,\dots ,n\), are measurable functions such that \([\tau_{ik}(t+\omega)-\tau_{ik}(t)]/\omega\), \(i,k=1,\dots ,n\), are integer numbers. In the paper, in a certain sense new and optimal conditions for the existence, nonexistence and uniqueness of an \(\omega\)-periodic solution to (1) are established using the improved method of a priori estimation of periodic solutions to systems of one-sided functional-differential inequalities proposed by \textit{Sh. Gelashvili} and \textit{I. Kiguradze} [Mem. Differ. Equ. Math. Phys. 5, 1-113 (1995; Zbl 0902.34059)] and \textit{I. T. Kiguradze} [Math. Notes 39, 308-315 (1986); translation from Mat. Zametki 39, No. 4, 562-575 (1986; Zbl 0652.34045)].