Stable periodic solutions for the hypercycle system (Q805848)

The hypercycle system is described by the system of differential equations \(\dot x_ i=x_ i[F_ i(x_ i,x_{i-1})-\sum x_ jF_ j(x_ j,x_{j-1})],\) where \(1\leq i\leq n\), \(F_ i\) are continuously differentiable functions. This system is a simple model of the time evolution of the concentrations of a set of polynucleotides, \(M_ 1,M_ 2,...,M_ n\), in a flow reactor in which \(M_ 1\) catalyzes the replication of \(M_ 2\), \(M_ 2\) that of \(M_ 3\), and so on, finally, \(M_ n\) catalyzes the replication of \(M_ 1\). The hypercycle was proposed by \textit{Eigen} [Naturwissenschaften 58, 465-523 (1971)]. In this paper the hypercycle system is investigated. Under general conditions the authors prove that the omega limit set of any orbit is either an equilibrium or a periodic orbit. The existence of an orbitally asymptotically stable periodic orbit is shown for a broad class of such systems.