Existence of an equilibrium for delayed neural fields under output proportional feedback (Q6164021)

This short note considers the delayed neural fields of the form \begin{align*} \tau_1(r)\frac{\partial z_1}{\partial t}(r,t) &= -z_1(r,t) + S_1\left(I_1^*(r)+\alpha(r)u(r,t) + \sum_{j=1}^2 \int_\Omega w_{1j}(r,r')z_j(r',t-d_j(r,r'))dr'\right),\\ \tau_2(r)\frac{\partial z_2}{\partial t}(r,t) &= -z_2(r,t) + S_2\left(I_2^*(r)+\alpha(r)u(r,t) + \sum_{j=1}^2 \int_\Omega w_{2j}(r,r')z_j(r',t-d_j(r,r'))dr'\right), \end{align*} where \(\Omega\subset\mathbb R^q\) is a compact set, \(z_i(r,t)\) is the neutral activity at position \(r\in\Omega\) and time \(t\in\mathbb R_+\) of population \(i\in\{1,2\}\), \(\tau_i:\Omega\to\mathbb R_{>0}\) is a time constant distribution, \(S_i:\mathbb R\to\mathbb R\) is a nondecreasing continuous function, \(w_{ij}\in L^2(\Omega^2;\mathbb R)\) is the synaptic coupling distribution for \(i,j\in\{1,2\}\), \(d_j:\Omega^2\to[0,\bar d]\) for some \(\bar d\geq 0\), \(u:\Omega\times\mathbb R_+ \to \mathbb R\) is the control input, \(\alpha:\Omega\to\mathbb R_+\) is a bounded function reflecting the inhomogeneity of the input, and \(I_i^*\in L^2(\Omega;\mathbb R)\) is a constant uncontrolled input. In [\textit{A. Chaillet} et al., Automatica 83, 262--274 (2017; Zbl 1373.93282)], it has been proven that the closed-loop system resulting from the output proportional feedback stabilization of this system is input-to-state stable for sufficiently high gain, subject to the existence of an equilibrium point for the closed-loop system. In the present note, the authors show that a sufficient condition for such an equilibrium to exist is that the activation functions are bounded.