Hopf bifurcation analysis for a two-neuron network with four delays (Q2471191)

The authors consider the following system of coupled delay differential equations (two-neuron network) \[ \begin{aligned} \dot{x}(t) & = - x(t) +a_{11}f(x(t-\tau_1)) +a_{12}f(y(t-\tau_2)) ,\\ \dot{y}(t) & = - y(t) +a_{21}f(x(t-\tau_3)) +a_{22}f(y(t-\tau_4)),\end{aligned} \] where \(x\) and \(y\) are scalar variables corresponding to two neurons, \(\tau_j\), \((j=1,\dots 4)\) denote the transmission delays, \(a_{ij}\) are synaptic weights. Additionally, \(f(0)=0\) so that the zero solution is an equilibrium. For this system, the linear stability of the zero solution is investigated and conditions for Hopf bifurcations are given. The direction of the Hopf bifurcations is studied using the center manifold theory.