Asymptotic stability of positive equilibrium solution for a delayed prey–predator diffusion system

Abstract

This article is concerned with a delayed Lotka–Volterra two-species prey–predator diffusion system with a single discrete delay and homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. By applying the implicit function theorem, the asymptotic expressions of positive equilibrium solutions are obtained. And then, the asymptotic stability of positive equilibrium solutions is investigated by linearizing the system at the positive equilibrium solutions and analyzing the associated eigenvalue problem. It is demonstrated that the positive equilibrium solutions are asymptotically stable when the delay is less than a certain critical value and unstable when the delay is greater than this critical value. In addition, it is also found that the system under consideration can undergo a Hopf bifurcation when the delay crosses through a sequence of critical values. Finally, to verify our theoretical predictions, some numerical simulations are also included.