Kolmogorov Vector Fields with Robustly Permanent Subsystems

The following results are proven. All subsystems of a dissipative Kolmogorov vector field ?_i = x_if_i(x) are robustly permanent if and only if the external Lyapunov exponents are positive for every ergodic probability measure μ with support in the boundary of the nonnegative orthant. If the vector field is also totally competitive, its carrying simplex is C¹. Applying these results to dissipative Lotka-Volterra systems, robust permanence of all subsystems is equivalent to every equilibrium x* satisfying f_i(x* > 0 whenever x_i^* = 0. If in addition the Lotka-Volterra system is totally competitive, then its carrying simplex is C¹.