Advances in Difference Equations
Volume 2005 (2005), Issue 1, Pages 57-79
doi:10.1155/ADE.2005.57

Global attractor of coupled difference equations and applications to Lotka-Volterra systems

C.V. Pao

Department of Mathematics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695, NC, USA

Abstract

This paper is concerned with a coupled system of nonlinear difference equations which is a discrete approximation of a class of nonlinear differential systems with time delays. The aim of the paper is to show the existence and uniqueness of a positive solution and to investigate the asymptotic behavior of the positive solution. Sufficient conditions are given to ensure that a unique positive equilibrium solution exists and is a global attractor of the difference system. Applications are given to three basic types of Lotka-Volterra systems with time delays where some easily verifiable conditions on the reaction rate constants are obtained for ensuring the global attraction of a positive equilibrium solution.