Periodic \(n\) dimensional first order coupled systems and periodic schizophrenia phenomena (Q2199313)

The authors investigate a fully nonlinear first-order coupled system of \(n\) ordinary differential equations \[u_{i}'(t)=f_{i}(t,u_{1}(t),\ldots,u_{n}(t)), \;\;i=1,\ldots,n.\] They prove the existence of periodic solutions by exploiting the Arzelà-Ascoli theorem and Schauder's fixed point theorem, together with the upper and lower solutions technique. The paper ends with an application: the authors analyse a mathematical model of the thyroid-pituitary interactions and their homeostatic mechanism for some specific cases of periodic events, like the relapsing catatonia.