On a differential equation with state-dependent delay. A center-unstable manifold connecting an equilibrium and a periodic orbit (Q431112)

The author considers the following differential equation \[ x^{\prime}(t)=a[x(t)-x(t-r)]-|x(t)|x(t) \] with parameter \(a>0\) and smooth state dependent delay \(r=r(x(t))\) satisfying several additional assumptions including a boundedness assumption on \(|r^{\prime}(s)|\). The principal result of the paper is the existence of slowly oscillating periodic solution of the equation for every \(a>1\). The proof is based on the existence of the so-called center-unstable manifold \(W\) which connects the zero solution \(x(t)\equiv0\) with its boundary \({\overline W}\setminus W\) with the latter proved to be a periodic orbit. This work is motivated by prior results by P. Brunowský, A. Erdélyi, and H.-O. Walther established for the same differential equation with constant delay \(r=1\). The author generalizes many of those to the case of state dependent delay and obtains further significant theoretical extensions.