Nontrivial periodic solutions of second order singular damped dynamical systems

Abstract

Assuming that the linear equation $x'' + h(t)x' + a(t)x = 0$ has a positive Green's function, we study the existence of nontrivial periodic solutions of second order damped dynamical systems \[ x'' + h(t)x' + a(t)x = f(t, x) + e(t), \] where $h$, $a\in \C(\!(\R/T\Z),\R)$, $e\! =\! (e_1,\ldots, e_N\!)^T\!\! \in \C(\!(\R/T\Z),\R^N\!)$, $N \ge 1$, and the nonlinearity $f = (f_1,\ldots, f_N)^T\in\C((\R=T\Z)\times\R^N\setminus\{0\},\R^N)$ has a repulsive singularity at the origin. We consider a very general singularity and do not need any kind of strong force condition. The proof is based on a nonlinear alternative principle of Leray-Schauder. Recent results in the literature are generalized and improved.