State-dependent neutral delay equations from population dynamics (Q464791)

The mathematical theory of state-dependent functional differential equations of delay and neutral types has been developed in the last few decades and such equations as population models have been investigated. However, the authors of this paper claim that these available state-dependent equations as population models are established by using the standard approach: replacing constant delays by state-dependent variable delays, and this approach is not appropriate in terms of population modeling although it is fine from purely mathematical point of view. Using this as justification, they derive a class of state-dependent delay equations from the balance laws of age-structured population dynamics under suitable assumptions. Moreover, for such models to make sense, they establish a result on existence and uniqueness of the required solution. Further, they discuss particular classes of the equations, investigate stability of stationary states, and carry out numerical experiments. If such state-dependent equations as population models are more appropriate than those obtained by standard approach, then such equations deserve more attention of pure as well as applied mathematicians.