Non-isochronicity of the center in polynomial Hamiltonian systems

In 2002 Jarque and Villadelprat proved that planar polynomial Hamiltonian systems of degree 4 have no isochronous centers and raised an open question for general planar polynomial Hamiltonian systems of even degree. Recently, it was proved that a planar polynomial Hamiltonian system is non-isochronous if a quantity, denoted by M_2m−2, can be computed such that M_2m−2≤0. As a corollary of this criterion, the open question was answered for those systems with only even degree nonlinearities. In this paper we consider the case of M_2m−2>0 and give a new criterion for non-isochronicity. Applying the new criterion, we also answer the open question for some cases in which some terms of odd degree are included.     

Center and isochronous center at infinity for differential systems

In this article, the center conditions and isochronous center conditions at infinity for differential systems are investigated. We give a transformation by which infinity can be transferred into the origin. So we can study the properties of infinity with the methods of the origin. As an application of our method, we discuss the conditions of infinity to be a center and a isochronous center for a class of rational differential system. As far as we know, this is the first time that the isochronous center conditions of infinity are discussed.     

A new method to determine isochronous center conditions for polynomial differential systems

The computation of period constants is a way to study isochronous center for polynomial differential systems. In this article, a new method to compute period constants is given. The algorithm is recursive and easy to realize with computer algebraic system. As an application, we discuss the center conditions and isochronous centers for a class of high-degree system.     

Centers for the Kukles homogeneous systems with even degree

For the polynomial differential system $\dot{x}=-y$, $\dot{y}=x +Q_n(x,y)$, where $Q_n(x,y)$ is a homogeneous polynomial of degree $n$ there are the following two conjectures done in 1999. (1) Is it true that the previous system for $n \ge 2$ has a center at the origin if and only if its vector field is symmetric about one of the coordinate axes? (2) Is it true that the origin is an isochronous center of the previous system with the exception of the linear center only if the system has even degree? We give a step forward in the direction of proving both conjectures for all $n$ even. More precisely, we prove both conjectures in the case $n = 4$ and for $n\ge 6$ even under the assumption that if the system has a center or an isochronous center at the origin, then it is symmetric with respect to one of the coordinate axes, or it has a local analytic first integral which is continuous in the parameters of the system in a neighborhood of zero in the parameters space. The case of $n$ odd was studied in [8].     

On the critical periods of perturbed isochronous centers

Consider a family of planar systems having a center at the origin and assume that for ε=0 they have an isochronous center. Firstly, we give an explicit formula for the first order term in ε of the derivative of the period function. We apply this formula to prove that, up to first order in ε, at most one critical period bifurcates from the periodic orbits of isochronous quadratic systems when we perturb them inside the class of quadratic reversible centers. Moreover necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of this critical period are explicitly given. From the tools developed in this paper we also provide a new characterization of planar isochronous centers.     

Bifurcation of limit cycles by perturbing a piecewise linear Hamiltonian system with a homoclinic loop

In this paper, we study limit cycle bifurcations for a kind of non-smooth polynomial differential systems by perturbing a piecewise linear Hamiltonian system with the center at the origin and a homoclinic loop around the origin. By using the first Melnikov function of piecewise near-Hamiltonian systems, we give lower bounds of the maximal number of limit cycles in Hopf and homoclinic bifurcations, and derive an upper bound of the number of limit cycles that bifurcate from the periodic annulus between the center and the homoclinic loop up to the first order in ε$\epsilon$. In the case when the degree of perturbing terms is low, we obtain a precise result on the number of zeros of the first Melnikov function.     

Algorithmic derivation of isochronicity conditions

This paper is concerned with obtaining the conditions under which the origin is an isochronous centre for certain planar polynomial systems. The necessity of these conditions is proved using a computer implementation of an algorithm first proposed by I.I. Pleshkan. Their sufficiency is then proved using various methods.     

On the cyclicity of weight-homogeneous centers

Let W be a weight-homogeneous planar polynomial differential system with a center. We find an upper bound of the number of limit cycles which bifurcate from the period annulus of W under a generic polynomial perturbation. We apply this result to a particular family of planar polynomial systems having a nilpotent center without meromorphic first integral.     

On the number of zeros of Abelian integrals for a polynomial Hamiltonian irregular at infinity

Up to now, most of the results on the tangential Hilbert 16th problem have been concerned with the Hamiltonian regular at infinity, i.e., its principal homogeneous part is a product of the pairwise different linear forms. In this paper, we study a polynomial Hamiltonian which is not regular at infinity. It is shown that the space of Abelian integral for this Hamiltonian is finitely generated as a R[h] module by several basic integrals which satisfy the Picard-Fuchs system of linear differential equations. Applying the bound meandering principle, an upper bound for the number of complex isolated zeros of Abelian integrals is obtained on a positive distance from critical locus. This result is a partial solution of tangential Hilbert 16th problem for this Hamiltonian. As a consequence, we get an upper bound of the number of limit cycles produced by the period annulus of the non-Hamiltonian integrable quadratic systems whose almost all orbits are algebraic curves of degree k+n, under polynomial perturbation of arbitrary degree.     

Isochronous centers of polynomial Hamiltonian systems and a conjecture of Jarque and Villadelprat

We study the conjecture of Jarque and Villadelprat stating that every center of a planar polynomial Hamiltonian system of even degree is nonisochronous. This conjecture has already been proved for quadratic and quartic systems. Using the correction of a vector field to characterize isochronicity and explicit computations of this quantity for polynomial vector fields, we are able to describe a very large class of nonisochronous Hamiltonian systems of even arbitrarily large degree.     

Isochronous Centers and Isochronous Functions

Abstract We study isochronous centers of two classes of planar systems of ordinary differential equations.Forthe first class which is the Linard systems of the form =y-F(x),=-g(x) with a center at the origin, we provethat if g is isochronous(see Definiton 1.1),then the center is isochronous if and only if F≡0.For the secondclass which is the Hamiltonian systems of the form =-g(y),=f(x) with a center at the origin,we prove thatif f or g is isochronous,then the center is isochronous if and only if the other is also isochronous.     

The period function of generalized Loudʼs centers

In this paper a three parameter family of planar differential systems with homogeneous nonlinearities of arbitrary odd degree is studied. This family is an extension to higher degree of Loud?s systems. The origin is a nondegenerate center for all values of the parameter and we are interested in the qualitative properties of its period function. We study the bifurcation diagram of this function focusing our attention on the bifurcations occurring at the polycycle that bounds the period annulus of the center. Moreover we determine some regions in the parameter space for which the corresponding period function is monotonous or it has at least one critical period, giving also its character (maximum or minimum). Finally we propose a complete conjectural bifurcation diagram of the period function of these generalized Loud?s centers.     

Local bifurcations of critical periods for cubic Liénard equations with cubic damping

Continuing Chicone and Jacobs’ work for planar Hamiltonian systems of Newton’s type, in this paper we study the local bifurcation of critical periods near a nondegenerate center of the cubic Liénard equation with cubic damping and prove that at most 2 local critical periods can be produced from either a weak center of finite order or the linear isochronous center and that at most 1 local critical period can be produced from nonlinear isochronous centers.     

Nonexistence of Isochronous Centers in Planar Polynomial Hamiltonian Systems of Degree Four

In this paper we study centers of planar polynomial Hamiltonian systems and we are interested in the isochronous ones. We prove that every center of a polynomial Hamiltonian system of degree four (that is, with its homogeneous part of degree four not identically zero) is nonisochronous. The proof uses the geometric properties of the period annulus and it requires the study of the Hamiltonian systems associated to a Hamiltonian function of the form H(x, y)=A(x)+B(x) y+C(x) y²+D(x) y³.     

First integrals and normal forms for germs of analytic vector fields

For a germ of analytic vector fields, the existence of first integrals, resonance and the convergence of normalization transforming the vector field to a normal form are closely related. In this paper we first provide a link between the number of first integrals and the resonant relations for a quasi-periodic vector field, which generalizes one of the Poincaré's classical results [H. Poincaré, Sur l'intégration des équations différentielles du premier order et du premier degré I and II, Rend. Circ. Mat. Palermo 5 (1891) 161-191; 11 (1897) 193-239] on autonomous systems and Theorem 5 of [Weigu Li, J. Llibre, Xiang Zhang, Local first integrals of differential systems and diffeomorphism, Z. Angew. Math. Phys. 54 (2003) 235-255] on periodic systems. Then in the space of analytic autonomous systems in C2n with exactly n resonances and n functionally independent first integrals, our results are related to the convergence and generic divergence of the normalizations. Lastly for a planar Hamiltonian system it is well known that the system has an isochronous center if and only if it can be linearizable in a neighborhood of the center. Using the Euler-Lagrange equation we provide a new approach to its proof.     

Centers of quasi-homogeneous polynomial differential equations of degree three

We characterize the centers of the quasi-homogeneous planar polynomial differential systems of degree three. Such systems do not admit isochronous centers. At most one limit cycle can bifurcate from the periodic orbits of a center of a cubic homogeneous polynomial system using the averaging theory of first order.     

Hamiltonian nilpotent centers of linear plus cubic homogeneous polynomial vector fields

We provide normal forms and the global phase portraits in the Poincaré disk for all Hamiltonian nilpotent centers of linear plus cubic homogeneous planar polynomial vector fields.     

On the number of critical periods for planar polynomial systems of arbitrary degree

We construct a class of planar systems of arbitrary degree n having a reversible center at the origin and such that the number of critical periods on its period annulus grows quadratically with n. As far as we know, the previous results on this subject gave systems having linear growth.     

Hamiltonian linear type centers of linear plus cubic homogeneous polynomial vector fields

We provide normal forms and the global phase portraits in the Poincaré disk for all the Hamiltonian linear type centers of linear plus cubic homogeneous planar polynomial vector fields.     

The 16th Hilbert problem on algebraic limit cycles

For real planar polynomial differential systems there appeared a simple version of the 16th Hilbert problem on algebraic limit cycles: Is there an upper bound on the number of algebraic limit cycles of all polynomial vector fields of degree m? In [J. Llibre, R. Ramírez, N. Sadovskaia, On the 16th Hilbert problem for algebraic limit cycles, J. Differential Equations 248 (2010) 1401-1409] Llibre, Ramírez and Sadovskaia solved the problem, providing an exact upper bound, in the case of invariant algebraic curves generic for the vector fields, and they posed the following conjecture: Is1+(m−1)(m−2)/2the maximal number of algebraic limit cycles that a polynomial vector field of degree m can have?In this paper we will prove this conjecture for planar polynomial vector fields having only nodal invariant algebraic curves. This result includes the Llibre et al.?s as a special one. For the polynomial vector fields having only non-dicritical invariant algebraic curves we answer the simple version of the 16th Hilbert problem.