Non-oscillation principle for eventually competitive and cooperative systems (Q2326639)

For two vectors \(x=(x_1,\dots,x_n)\) and \(y=(y_1,\dots,y_n)\) write \(x\leq y\) (respectively, \(x<y\)) if \(x_i\leq y_i\) (respectively, \(x_i<y_i\)) for \(i=1,\dots,n\). A flow \(\phi_t\) on \(\mathbb{R}^n\) is called cooperative (respectively, competitive) if \(\phi_t(x)\leq\phi_t(y)\) whenever \(x\leq y\) and \(t\geq 0\) (respectively, \(t\leq 0\)). The authors study eventually cooperative (respectively, eventually competitive) flows \(\phi_t\) for which there exists a \(t_*\geq 0\) such that the above relations hold for \(t\geq t_*\) (respectively, for \(t\leq t_*\)). A time interval \([a,b]\) is called rising (respectively, falling) for a trajectory \(x(t)\) of a flow \(\phi_t\) if \(x(a)<x(b)\) (respectively, \(x(a)>x(b)\)). It was proved by \textit{M. W. Hirsch} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 383, 1--53 (1988; Zbl 0624.58017)] that if \(x(t)\) is a complete trajectory of a cooperative (or competitive) flow, then \(x(t)\) cannot have both rising and falling intervals. The authors prove a similar statement for eventually cooperative and eventually competitive flows. They apply this statement to study \(\alpha\)-limit and \(\omega\)-limit sets for such flows. They also prove the Poincaré-Bendixson theorem and analyze structural stability for 3-dimensional eventually cooperative and eventually competitive flows.