Multiple solutions for periodic perturbations of a delayed autonomous system near an equilibrium (Q2415178)

The well-known principle to derive existence of stationary or periodic solutions, for a vector field $v$ pointing inward everywhere on the boundary of a bounded set $\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^N$, is extended to delay equations, and related to the Euler characteristic $\chi(\Omega)$. The equations are of the type \[u'(t) = g(u(t), u)t- \tau)) + p(t),\] with $T$-periodic $p$, and main assumptions are: A condition saying essentially `$g(x,y)$ points inwards for $x \in \partial \Omega$ and all $y$', existence of an equilibrium $(e,e) $ of the equation with $p = 0$, with no $T$-periodic solutions of the linearized equation at this equilibrium. The following statements are proved in the main result, all for small enough $p$: \begin{itemize} \item[1)] Existence of at least one $T$-periodic solution close to $e$; \item[2)] Existence of at least two, if $0 \neq \operatorname{sign}\det(D_1g(e,e) + D_2g(e,e)) \neq (-1)^N \chi(\Omega)$; \item[3)] Generically (in the sense of a residual set of periodic $p$) existence of at least $|\operatorname{sign}\det(D_1g(e,e) + D_2g(e,e)) - (-1)^N \chi(\Omega)| + 1$ solutions with period $T$. \end{itemize} Ingredients of the proof are: writing the condition for periodic solutions as an operator equation in the space $C_T$ of $T$-periodic continuous functions; Leray-Schauder-degree-preserving homotopy to an operator based on averaging of continuous functions, and the relation of Brouwer degree to Euler characteristic for an inward pointing vector field $v$: $\deg_B(v, \Omega,0) = (-1)^N \chi(\Omega)$. A Sard-type argument is used for part 3). An application to a system with finitely many power-type singularities is shown.