Threshold conditions for a diffusive model of a myelinated axon (Q795763)

The authors study problems of the form \[ (*)\quad v_ t=v_{xx}- gv,\quad x\in R\backslash Z,\quad v_ t=f(v)+v_ x(n_+,t)-v_ x(n_-,t)\quad for\quad x=n\in Z \] modelling myelinated axons with discrete excitable nodes. After a description of the biological background the authors develop comparison principles for solutions of related inequalities. They then prove properties of time-independent solutions of (*) which enable them to show a number of threshold results for solutions of (*). Finally, they investigate the behaviour of \(v(x\pm [ct])\) as \(t\to \infty\).