What Is... Seminar

Richard RandCornell University
What Is a Delay-Differential Equation?

Wednesday, October 9, 2019 - 5:30pm
Malott 207

dx/dt = F(x(t), x(t-T))
In words, the growth rate of some quantity (x(t)) depends on both the current value of x(t) as well as on the value of x at a previous time T (x(t-T)).
Question: Can you destabilize an equilibrium by making the delay T long enough?
Examples of delayed systems include queueing theory (the dynamics of waiting in line), and gene replication (where the delay is due to the time required for the body to copy a strand of DNA).