Triple positive solutions of BVP for second order ODE with one dimensional Laplacian on the half line

By applying Leggett-Williams fixed point theorem in a suitably constructed cone, we obtain the existence of at least three bounded positive solutions for a boundary value problem on the half line. Our result improves and complements some of the work in the literature

NLS Bifurcations on the bowtie combinatorial graph and the dumbbell metric graph

We consider the bifurcations of standing wave solutions to the nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation (NLS) posed on a quantum graph consisting of two loops connected by a single edge, the so-called dumbbell, recently studied by Marzuola and Pelinovsky. The authors of that study found the ground state undergoes two bifurcations, first a symmetry-breaking, and the second which they call a symmetry-preserving bifurcation. We clarify the type of the symmetry-preserving bifurcation, showing it to be transcritical. We then reduce the question, and show that the phenomena described in that paper can be reproduced in a simple discrete self-trapping equation on a combinatorial graph of bowtie shape. This allows for complete analysis both by geometric methods and by parameterizing the full solution space. We then expand the question, and describe the bifurcations of all the standing waves of this system, which can be classified into three families, and of which there exists a countably infinite set

Tensor Products, Positive Linear Operators, and Delay-Differential Equations

We develop the theory of compound functional differential equations, which are tensor and exterior products of linear functional differential equations. Of particular interest is the equation $\dot x(t)=-\alpha(t)x(t)-\beta(t)x(t-1)$ with a single delay, where the delay coefficient is of one sign, say $\delta\beta(t)\ge 0$ with $\delta\in{-1,1}$. Positivity properties are studied, with the result that if $(-1)^k=\delta$ then the $k$-fold exterior product of the above system generates a linear process which is positive with respect to a certain cone in the phase space. Additionally, if the coefficients $\alpha(t)$ and $\beta(t)$ are periodic of the same period, and $\beta(t)$ satisfies a uniform sign condition, then there is an infinite set of Floquet multipliers which are complete with respect to an associated lap number. Finally, the concept of $u_0$-positivity of the exterior product is investigated when $\beta(t)$ satisfies a uniform sign condition.Comment: 84 page

Traveling Wave Solutions for Systems of ODEs on a Two-Dimensional Spatial Lattice

This is the published version, also available here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1137/S0036139996312703.We consider infinite systems of ODEs on the two-dimensional integer lattice, given by a bistable scalar ODE at each point, with a nearest neighbor coupling between lattice points. For a class of ideal nonlinearities, we obtain traveling wave solutions in each direction $e^{i\theta}$, and we explore the relation between the wave speed c, the angle $\theta$, and the detuning parameter a of the nonlinearity. Of particular interest is the phenomenon of "propagation failure," and we study how the critical value $a=a^*(\theta)$ depends on $\theta$, where $a^*(\theta)$ is defined as the value of the parameter a at which propagation failure (that is, wave speed c=0) occurs. We show that $a^*:\Bbb{R}\to\Bbb{R} is continuous at each point$\theta$where$\tan\theta$is irrational, and is discontinuous where$\tan\theta$ is rational or infinite

New Trends on Nonlocal and Functional Boundary Value Problems

In the last decades, boundary value problems with nonlocal and functional boundary conditions have become a rapidly growing area of research. The study of this type of problems not only has a theoretical interest that includes a huge variety of differential, integrodifferential, and abstract equations, but also is motivated by the fact that these problems can be used as a model for several phenomena in engineering, physics, and life sciences that standard boundary conditions cannot describe. In this framework, fall problems with feedback controls, such as the steady states of a thermostat, where a controller at one of its ends adds or removes heat depending upon the temperature registered in another point, or phenomena with functional dependence in the equation and/or in the boundary conditions, with delays or advances, maximum or minimum arguments, such as beams where the maximum (minimum) of the deflection is attained in some interior or endpoint of the beam. Topological and functional analysis tools, for example, degree theory, fixed point theorems, or variational principles, have played a key role in the developing of this subject. This volume contains a variety of contributions within this area of research. The articles deal with second and higher order boundary value problems with nonlocal and functional conditions for ordinary, impulsive, partial, and fractional differential equations on bounded and unbounded domains. In the contributions, existence, uniqueness, and asymptotic behaviour of solutions are considered by using several methods as fixed point theorems, spectral analysis, and oscillation theory

Spectrum analysis of LTI continuous-time systems with constant delays: A literature overview of some recent results

In recent decades, increasingly intensive research attention has been given to dynamical systems containing delays and those affected by the after-effect phenomenon. Such research covers a wide range of human activities and the solutions of related engineering problems often require interdisciplinary cooperation. The knowledge of the spectrum of these so-called time-delay systems (TDSs) is very crucial for the analysis of their dynamical properties, especially stability, periodicity, and dumping effect. A great volume of mathematical methods and techniques to analyze the spectrum of the TDSs have been developed and further applied in the most recent times. Although a broad family of nonlinear, stochastic, sampled-data, time-variant or time-varying-delay systems has been considered, the study of the most fundamental continuous linear time-invariant (LTI) TDSs with fixed delays is still the dominant research direction with ever-increasing new results and novel applications. This paper is primarily aimed at a (systematic) literature overview of recent (mostly published between 2013 to 2017) advances regarding the spectrum analysis of the LTI-TDSs. Specifically, a total of 137 collected articles-which are most closely related to the research area-are eventually reviewed. There are two main objectives of this review paper: First, to provide the reader with a detailed literature survey on the selected recent results on the topic and Second, to suggest possible future research directions to be tackled by scientists and engineers in the field. © 2013 IEEE.MSMT-7778/2014, FEDER, European Regional Development Fund; LO1303, FEDER, European Regional Development Fund; CZ.1.05/2.1.00/19.0376, FEDER, European Regional Development FundEuropean Regional Development Fund through the Project CEBIA-Tech Instrumentation [CZ.1.05/2.1.00/19.0376]; National Sustainability Program Project [LO1303 (MSMT-7778/2014)

Waves and Oscillations in Model Neuronal Networks

In this thesis methods from nonlinear dynamical systems, pattern formation and bifurcation theory, combined with numerical simulations, are applied to three models in neuroscience. In Chapter 1 we analyze the Wilson-Cowan equations for a single self-excited population of cells with absolute refractory period. We construct the normal form for a Hopf bifurcation, and prove that by increasing the refractory period the network switches from a steady state to an oscillatory behavior. Numerical simulations indicate that for large values of refractoriness the oscillation converges to a relaxation-like pattern, the period of which we estimate. Chapter 2 brings new results for the rate model introduced by Hansel and Sompolinsky who study feature selectivity in local cortical circuits. We study their model with a more general, nonlinear sigmoid gain function, and prove that the system can exhibit different kind of patterns such as stationary states, traveling waves and standing waves. Standing waves can be obtained only if the threshold is sufficiently high and only for intermediate values of the strength of adaptation. A large adaptation strength destabilizes the pattern. Therefore the localized activity starts to propagate along the network, resulting in a traveling wave. We construct the normal form for Hopf and Takens-Bogdanov with O(2)-symmetry bifurcations and study the interactions between spatial and spatio-temporal patterns in the neural network. Numerical simulations are provided.Chapter 3 addresses several questions with regard to the traveling wave propagation in a leaky-integrate-and-fire model for a network with purely excitatory (exponentially decaying) synaptic coupling. We analyze the case when the neurons fire multiple spikes and derive a formula for the voltage. We compute in a certain parameter space, the curves that delineate the region where single-spike traveling wave solutions exist, and show that there is a region of parameter space where neurons can propagate a two-spike traveling wave

Spectral Analysis of Complex Dynamical Systems

The spectrum of any differential equation or a system of differential equations is related to several important properties about the problem and its subsequent solution. So much information is held within the spectrum of a problem that there is an entire field devoted to it; spectral analysis. In this thesis, we perform spectral analysis on two separate complex dynamical systems. The vibrations along a continuous string or a string with beads on it are the governed by the continuous or discrete wave equation. We derive a small-vibrations model for multi-connected continuous strings that lie in a plane. We show that lateral vibrations of such strings can be decoupled from their in-plane vibrations. We then study the eigenvalue problem originating from the lateral vibrations. We show that, unlike the well-known one string vibrations case, the eigenvalues in a multi-string vibrating system do not have to be simple. Moreover we prove that the multiplicities of the eigenvalues depend on the symmetry of the model and on the total number of the connected strings [50]. We also apply Nevanlinna functions theory to characterize the spectra and to solve the inverse problem for a discrete multi-string system in a more general setting than it was done in [71],[73], [22], [69]-[72]. We also represent multi-string vibrating systems using a coupling of non-densely defined symmetric operators acting in the infinite dimensional Hilbert space. This coupling is defined by a special set of boundary operators acting in finite dimensional Krein space (the space with indefinite inner product). The main results of this research are published in [50]. The Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis responds to physical and mental challenge to maintain homeostasis in part by controlling the body’s cortisol level. Dysregulation of the HPA axis is implicated in numerous stress-related diseases. For a structured model of the HPA axis that includes the glucocorticoid receptor but does not take into account the system response delay, we first perform rigorous stability analysis of all multi-parametric steady states and secondly, by construction of a Lyapunov functional, we prove nonlinear asymptotic stability for some of multi-parametric steady states. We then take into account the additional effects of the time delay parameter on the stability of the HPA axis system. Finally we prove the existence of periodic solutions for the HPA axis system. The main results of this research are published in [51]