Hartman and Nirenberg type results for systems of delay differential equations under \((\omega, Q)\)-periodic conditions (Q2671186)

The paper studies delay equations of the form \[ X'(t) = F(t, X(t), X(t-\tau)), \] with \(F\) \(\omega-\)periodic in \(t\) and \(Q-\)equivariant in the sense that \(F(t, QX, QY) = QF(t,X,Y)\), where \(Q \in GL(\mathbb{R}^n, \mathbb{R}^n)\). Existence of \((\omega,Q) -\)periodic solutions is established for a number of cases, that is, solutions \(X \) with \( X(t + \omega) = QX(t)\). The main methods are those of nonlinear functional analysis, as fixed point theorems, Leray-Schauder or Mawhin coincidence degree. An `inward pointing vector field' (Hartman-like) condition together with Schauder's fixed point theorem is employed in Theorem 2.1. In the special case of an equation \(X'(t) = g(X(t), X(t-\tau)) + p(t)\), with \(p\) \((\omega,Q)-\)periodic and g as in Theorem 2.1, and under the condition \( \det\{Q\cdot (Q - \exp[\omega(D_1g(0,0) + D_2g(0,0))]) \} < 0 \), degree computations allow to show existence of at least two \((\omega,Q)-\)periodic solutions, by excision of a small neighborhood of zero with local degree \(-1\). Section 3 studies equations of the form \[ X'(t) = -A(t) X(t) + F(t, X(t), X(t-\tau)) - H(t), \] and relates the operator defined by \((LX)(t) := X'(t) + A(t) X(t) \) to the kernel of the matrix \(M(\omega) - Q\), where \(M\) is the fundamental matrix solution to \(X'(t) = - A(t)X(t)\). Based on the Fredholm structure of \(L\) (the case \(L\) noninvertible is also called `resonant') and a method known in the context of the coincidence degree (Theorem 1.3), two existence theorems are obtained under different conditions on the behavior of \(F\) and \(H\), one of which can work in the case that \(F(t,X,X) \to 0 \) for \(|X| \to \infty\). Section 4 considers delayed perturbations of gradient systems, based on the result known as Schaefer's fixed point theorem. Theorems are illustrated with examples; with a somewhat short treatment of the examples in the last section.