Contracting return maps for monotone delayed feedback

Pages: 259 - 274, Volume 7, Issue 2, April 2001

doi:10.3934/dcds.2001.7.259       Abstract        Full Text (176.4K)       Related Articles

Hans-Otto Walther - Mathematisches Institut, Universität Gieβen, Arndtstr. 2, 35392 Gieβen, Germany (email)

Abstract: For equations

$\dot{x}(t)=-\mu x(t)+f(x(t-1))$

with continuous odd nonlinearities close to a step function $f_a(\xi)=-a$sign$\xi$, $a>0,$ we find sets of initial data to which solutions return. For Lipschitz nonlinearities the associated return maps become Lipschitz continuous. Monotonicity of $f$ close to 0 permits sharp estimates of the Lipschitz constants of the return map. If outside a neighbourhood of 0 the Lipschitz constant of $f$ is sufficiently small then the return map becomes a contraction, whose fixed point defines an attracting periodic orbit of the differential equation. Applications include the cases $f(x)=g(\gamma x)$ with $g'(x)=-(1+x^r)^{-1}$ for $x>0$, $r>\frac{3}{2}$ and $\gamma>0$ sufficiently large.

Keywords:  Delay differential equations, autonomous, negative feedback, periodic solution, stability, return map, hyperbolicity.
Mathematics Subject Classification:  34K15, 58F22.

Revised: September 2000;      Published: January 2001.