A criterion for the existence of relaxation oscillations with applications to predator-prey systems and an epidemic model (Q2301338)

In this paper, the authors derive a criterion to determine the location and stability of relaxation oscillations for the planar system \[ \dot a=\epsilon f(a,b,\epsilon)+ b\,h(a,b,\epsilon), \ 0<\epsilon\ll 1, \] \[ \dot b=b\,g(a,b,\epsilon), \] where \(f, g\) and \(h\) are smooth functions satisfying, for some numbers \(-\infty\leq a_{\min}<\bar{a}< a_{\max}\leq\infty,\) \[ f(a,0,0)>0\qquad \forall\, a\in(a_{\min},a_{\max}) \] \[ h(a,b,0)<0\qquad \forall\, a\in(a_{\min},a_{\max}),\ b\geq0 \] and \(g(a,0,0)\) changes sign from negative to positive at \(\bar{a}.\)\\ For the limiting system (\(\epsilon=0\)) the following condition is assumed:\ There exists a nonempty open interval \(I\) and smooth functions \(a_{\alpha}: I\to (\bar{a}, a_{\max})\) and \(a_{\omega}: I\to (a_{\min},\bar{a}),\) such that, for each \(s\in I,\) the points \((a_{\alpha}(s),0)\) and \((a_{\omega}(s),0)\) are the alpha- and omega-limit points, respectively, of a trajectory of the limiting system. The main results are formulated in Theorem 2.1 and its proof is based on the idea that solutions of the full system can potentially be obtained by joining trajectories of the limiting systems. The periodic orbit is then constructed by using the Fenichel's geometric singular perturbation theory. In the second half of the paper, Theorem 2.1 is applied to a (restricted) chemostat predator-prey system.