Hopf bifurcation and multiple periodic solutions in Lotka-Volterra systems with symmetries (Q1940184)

This paper deals with Hopf bifurcation and nontrivial periodic solutions of the system \[ \dot{x}_i(t) = x_i(t)[r - cx_i(t-\tau) -dx_{i-1}(t-\tau) -dx_{i+1}(t-\tau)],\quad i = 1, 2, 3 \pmod 3, \] where \(r, c, d\) are positive constants and the delay \(\tau >0\) is a bifurcation parameter. The system has a \(D_3\)-symmetry. It is known that multiple nontrivial periodic solutions exist for some equivariant delay differential Lotka-Volterra systems. Using the available equivariant degree method, the authors investigate the existence of multiple nontrivial periodic solutions through a local Hopf bifurcation around an equilibrium. Moreover, according to the symmetric properties, they give a topological classification for these periodic solutions and present an estimate on the minimal number of bifurcation branches.