In this paper we apply the equivariant degree method to the Hopf bifurcation problem for a system of symmetric functional differential equations. Local Hopf bifurcation is classified by means of an equivariant topological invariant based on the symmetric properties of the characteristic operator. As examples, symmetric configurations of identical oscillators, with dihedral, tetrahedral, octahedral, and icosahedral symmetries, are analyzed.
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