Planar S-systems: global stability and the center problem (Q1757417)

This paper is devoted to the stability analysis of the following system of ordinary differential equations on the positive quadrant of $\mathbb R^2$: \[ \dot x_1=\alpha_1 x_1^{g_{11}} x_2^{g_{12}} - \beta_1 x_1^{h_{11}} x_2^{h_{12}},\; \dot x_2=\alpha_2 x_1^{g_{21}} x_2^{g_{22}} - \beta_2 x_1^{h_{21}} x_2^{h_{22}}, \tag{1} \] where $\alpha_i$, $\beta_i$, $g_{ij}$, and $h_{ij}$ are real constants. By using the change of variables $x_1=e^{\gamma_1 u}$ and $x_2=e^{\gamma_2 v}$, system (1) is transformed to the form \[ \dot u = e^{a_1u+b_1v} - e^{a_2u+b_2v},\; \dot v = e^{a_3u+b_3v} - e^{a_4u+b_4v}. \tag{2} \] The trivial solution of (2) corresponds to an equilibrium of system (1) with positive coordinates. The necessary and sufficient conditions for global asymptotic stability of zero solution of (2) are obtained under the assumption $\det(G-H) \neq 0$, where the 2x2-matrices $G$ and $H$ are composed from parameters of (1). In addition, the issue of boundedness of the solutions of (2) in positive time is discussed. Conditions for the trivial equilibrium of (2) to be a center are presented as well.