Special symmetric periodic solutions of differential systems with distributed delay (Q2371176)

Consider the following system of functional differential equations with distributed delays, \[ \dot{x}_1(t) = \int_{-1}^0 f_1(x_2(t+\theta))\,d\theta, \qquad \dot{x}_2(t) = \int_{-1}^0 f_2(x_1(t+\theta))\,d\theta. \tag \(*\) \] First, assume (H1) \(f_1\), \(f_2:\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}\) are odd and continuously differentiable functions. (H2) \(f_1'(0)=f_2'(0)=\alpha>0\). (H3) \(| f_i(x)| \leq M\) for \(x\in \mathbb{R}\), \(i=1\), \(2\). (H4) \(xf_i(x)>0\) for \(x\neq 0\), \(i=1\), \(2\). It is shown that the linearized system of \((*)\) around the origin \[ \dot{X}_1(t)= \alpha\int_{-1}^0 X_2(t+\theta)\,d\theta, \qquad \dot{X}_2(t) =\alpha \int_{-1}^0 X_1(t+\theta)\,d\theta \] has a nontrivial \(2\)-periodic solution if and only if \(\alpha=\pi^2/2\) and these solutions are \(X(t)=(X_1(t),X_2(t))=(-a\cos \pi t, a\cos \pi t)\), where \(a\in \mathbb{R} \setminus \{0\}\). Note that these solutions with \(a>0\) satisfy (i) \((X_1(1/2),X_2(1/2))=(0,0)\). (ii) \(X_i(t)=-X_i(t+1)\), \(i=1\), \(2\). (iii) \(\dot{X}_1(0)=\dot{X}_2(0)=0\). (iv) \(\dot{X}_1(t)\geq 0\), \(\dot{X}_2(t)\leq 0\), \(t\in [0,1/2]\). Thus, it is natural to search for solutions of (\(*\)) satisfying the above properties (i)--(iv). This is achieved by first transforming the problem into an equivalent one for a system of ordinary differential equations and by using a fixed point theorem. Then, similar results are obtained with (H2) and (H4) being replaced by (H\(2'\)) \(f_1'(0)=f_2'(0)=-\alpha\), \(\alpha>0\). (H\(4'\)) \(xf_i(x)<0\) for \(x\neq 0\), \(i=1\), \(2\).