A Unified Framework for the Study of Periodic Solutions of Nonlinear Delay Differential Equations

Periodic solutions of delay differential equations (DDEs) splitting into stable and unstable branches are examined in an infinite-dimensional space for fixed and multiple time delays. The center manifold theorem and the classical Hopf bifurcation theorem for the study of periodic solutions of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are employed to reduce the infinite-dimensional character of the DDEs to finite-dimensional ODEs. Using integral averaging method, the vector field of the ODEs is converted and averaged into amplitude a and phase φ relations. From these relations bifurcation equations of the form ℑ(a, φ) = 0 for the solution branches are derived.