Periodic solutions of certain hybrid delay-differential equations and their corresponding difference equations

In this paper we use a method due to Carvalho (A method to investigate bifurcation of periodic solution in retarded differential equations, J. Differ. Equ. Appl. 4 (1998), pp. 17-27) to obtain conditions for the existence of nonconstant periodic solutions of certain systems of hybrid delay-differential equations. We first deal with a scalar equation of Lotka-Valterra type; then a system of two equations in two unknowns that could model the interactions of two identical neurons. It will be seen that such solutions are determined by solutions of corresponding difference equations. Another paper in which this method is used is by Cooke and Ladeira (Applying Carvalho's method to find periodic solutions of difference equations, J. Differ. Equ. Appl. 2 (1996), pp. 105-115). We first state Carvalho's result.