Periodic solutions of a class of third-order functional differential equations with iterative source terms (Q2189017)

Scalar third order functional differential equation of the form \[ x^{\prime\prime\prime}(t)+p(t)x^{\prime\prime}(t)+q(t)x^{\prime}(t)+r(t)x(t)=x(t)\sum_{k=1}^{n}c_k(t)x^{[k]}(t)+H(t)\tag{1} \] is considered where the coefficients \(p, q, r, H, c_k, k=1,\dots,n,\) are all \(T\)-periodic continuous functions on \(\mathbb R,\) and \(x^{[k]}\) stands for the \(k\)-th iteration of solution \(x\), \(x^{[k]}=x\circ\dots\circ x\). Sufficient conditions are derived for the existence of \(T\)-periodic solutions of equation (1). Additional conditions are found when such periodic solution is unique. The continuous dependence of the periodic solutions on functions \(H\) and \(c_k\) is shown. The proof of existence and uniqueness uses the Krasnoselskii and Banach fixed point theorems applied to specially constructed integral equations involving Green's functions.