The unstable set of a periodic orbit for delayed positive feedback (Q330526)

For a differential delay equation of the form \[ x'(t) = -\mu x(t) + f(x(t-1)) \] with \(f' >0\) the global attractor is described. There exist 5 equilibria (two of them unstable), 4 unstable periodic orbits, and connections between them. Two of the periodic orbits belong to spindle-like structures known from earlier work of Krisztin, Walther and Wu, and the remaining two are `large' in the sense that their range contains the unstable equilibria. The flow on the attractor can be graphically represented by a cross section where it looks like a gradient flow with equilibria and connecting orbits (corresponding to the decay of the zero-counting Liapunov functional), but one should imagine an additional rotation corresponding to the circular motion of the periodic orbits. The equilibria lie in the axis of this rotation and thus remain fixed. The three-dimensional unstable manifold \(W^u\) of the `more unstable' large periodic orbit is described in detail, and the connecting sets from that orbit to the unstable equilibria/the second large periodic orbit are shown to be smooth two-dimensional submanifolds of \(W^u\), in both cases with global graph representation over appropriate subspaces of the state space \(C = C^0([-1,0], \mathbb R)\). These connecting sets are separatrix surfaces, forming the boundaries of different basins of attraction. Proofs are given with very complete details, involving a number of skillfully combined techniques. Among these are: The Poincaré-Bendixson-theory for monotone delay systems due Mallet-Paret and Sell, previous results of Krisztin and Vas on the `large' periodic orbits, the use of the zero-counting Liapunov functional \(V\) and its behavior at solution segments with \(x(t) = x(t-1) = 0\), relations between Floquet eigenspaces of the monodromy operator and the oscillation properties expressed through \(V\), injectivity of maps to three- or twodimensional spaces such as \(C \ni \varphi \mapsto (\varphi(0), \varphi(-1)) \in \mathbb R^2\), topological arguments including the Schönflies theorem, consideration of sequences of initial values with limits and corresponding limiting differential equations, smoothness of the flow generated on the attractor, combination of asymptotic behavior, e.g., for \( t \to - \infty\) with the monotonicity properties of the flow.