Convergence analysis of collocation methods for computing periodic solutions of retarded functional differential equations

Abstract: We analyze the convergence of piecewise collocation methods for computing periodic solutions of general retarded functional differential equations under the abstract framework recently developed in [S. Maset, Numer. Math. (2016) 133(3):525-555], [S. Maset, SIAM J. Numer. Anal. (2015) 53(6):2771--2793] and [S. Maset, SIAM J. Numer. Anal. (2015) 53(6):2794--2821]. We rigorously show that a reformulation as a boundary value problem requires a proper infinite-dimensional boundary periodic condition in order to be amenable of such analysis. In this regard, we also highlight the role of the period acting as an unknown parameter, which is critical since it is directly linked to the course of time. Finally, we prove that the finite element method is convergent, while we limit ourselves to commenting on the infeasibility of this approach as far as the spectral element method is concerned.