Solution of the stability problem for a class of generalized Volterra prey-predator systems (Q793897)

Using graph-theoretic methods, the asymptotic behavior of the system (1) \(\dot u_ i=u_ i(e_ i+\sum^{m}_{j=1}p_{ij}u_ j), u_ i(0)>0\) given \((i=1,...,m) (e_ i,p_{ij}\) constant) is investigated under the assumption that a stationary point \(q=(q_ i)\) with \(q_ i>0\) exists. The matrix \(p=(p_{ij})\) is admissible, \(p\in A_ 0\), if there exist constants \(a_ i>0\) such that \(\sum_{i,j}a_ ip_{ij}w_ iw_ j\leq 0\) for \(w\in {\mathbb{R}}^ m\), and stably admissible, \(p\in A\), if small perturbations of p which do not change sign \(p_{ij}\) are admissible. Associated with \(p\in A\) is a graph G(p) with m vertices. By repeatedly using three rules of reduction, the graph G(p) is transformed into a reduced graph R(p) which describes the asymptotic behavior of solutions to (1) in the following way: There are three types A,B,C of reduced graphs R(p). In case (A), p is nonsingular, and every solution u(t) converges to q. In case (B), p is singular, the stationary point q is not unique, and every solution u(t) converges to a limit. In case (C), there exists a matrix p' with \(G(p)=G(p')\) such that the system (1) associated with p' has a periodic solution. The construction of R(p) from G(p) is simple and systematic. The theorem carries over to a system of the form \(\dot u_ i=N(u)f_ i(u_ i)(e_ i+\sum^{m}_{j=1}p_{ij}g_ j(u_ j))\) under appropriate conditions for \(f_ i\) and \(g_ j\).