Formal paths, iterated integrals and the center problem for ordinary differential equations

We continue the study of the center problem for the ordinary differential equation started in [A. Brudnyi, An explicit expression for the first return map in the center problem, J. Differential Equations 206 (2004) 306-314; A. Brudnyi, On the center problem for ordinary differential equations, Amer. J. Math. 128 (2006) 419-451; A. Brudnyi, An algebraic model for the center problem, Bull. Sci. Math. 128 (2004) 839-857; A. Brudnyi, On center sets of ODEs determined by moments of their coefficients, Bull. Sci. Math. 130 (2006) 33-48; A. Brudnyi, Vanishing of higher-order moments on Lipschitz curves, Bull. Sci. Math. 132 (3) (2008) 165-181]. In this paper we present the highlights of the algebraic theory of centers.     

Approximation on Nash sets with monomial singularities

This paper is devoted to the approximation of differentiable semialgebraic functions by Nash functions. Approximation by Nash functions is known for semialgebraic functions defined on an affine Nash manifold M, and here we extend it to functions defined on Nash sets  X⊂M$X\subset M$whose singularities are monomial. To that end we discuss first finiteness and weak normality for such sets X. Namely, we prove that (i) X is the union of finitely many open subsets, each Nash diffeomorphic to a finite union of coordinate linear varieties of an affine space, and (ii) every function on X which is Nash on every irreducible component of X extends to a Nash function on M. Then we can obtain approximation for semialgebraic functions and even for certain semialgebraic maps on Nash sets with monomial singularities. As a nice consequence we show that m-dimensional affine Nash manifolds with divisorial corners which are class k   semialgebraically diffeomorphic, for k>m²$k>m^2$, are also Nash diffeomorphic.     

Configurations of limit cycles in Liénard equations

We show that every finite configuration of disjoint simple closed curves in the plane is topologically realizable as the set of limit cycles of a polynomial Liénard equation. The related vector field X is Morse–Smale. Moreover it has the minimum number of singularities required for realizing the configuration in a Liénard equation. We provide an explicit upper bound on the degree of X, which is lower than the results obtained before, obtained in the context of general polynomial vector fields.     

A unified approach to the asymptotic almost-equivalence of evolution systems without Lipschitz conditions

We study the asymptotic behavior of almost-orbits of evolution systems in Banach spaces without any continuity assumptions on either the space or the time dependence. We establish, in a unified framework, standard convergence, ergodic convergence and almost-convergence of almost-orbits for both the weak and the strong topologies on the basis of the analogue behavior of orbits.     

Analytic cycles,Bott–Chern forms,and singular sets for the Yang–Mills flow on Kähler manifolds

It is shown that the singular set for the Yang–Mills flow on unstable holomorphic vector bundles over compact Kähler manifolds is completely determined by the Harder–Narasimhan–Seshadri filtration of the initial holomorphic bundle. We assign a multiplicity to irreducible top dimensional components of the singular set of a holomorphic bundle with a filtration by saturated subsheaves. We derive a singular Bott–Chern formula relating the second Chern form of a smooth metric on the bundle to the Chern current of an admissible metric on the associated graded sheaf. This is used to show that the multiplicities of the top dimensional bubbling locus defined via the Yang–Mills density agree with the corresponding multiplicities for the Harder–Narasimhan–Seshadri filtration. The set theoretic equality of singular sets is a consequence.     

Topological entropy of maps on regular curves

In [G.T. Seidler, The topological entropy of homeomorphisms on one-dimensional continua, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 108 (1990) 1025-1030], G.T. Seidler proved that the topological entropy of every homeomorphism on a regular curve is zero. Also, in [H. Kato, Topological entropy of monotone maps and confluent maps on regular curves, Topology Proc. 28 (2) (2004) 587-593] the topological entropy of confluent maps on regular curves was investigated. In particular, it was proved that the topological entropy of every monotone map on any regular curve is zero. In this paper, furthermore we investigate the topological entropy of more general maps on regular curves. We evaluate the topological entropy of maps f on regular curves X in terms of the growth of the number of components of f−n(y) (y∈X).     

Simultaneous bifurcation of limit cycles from a linear center with extra singular points

The period annuli of the planar vector field x^′=−yF(x,y)$x^{\prime }=-yF(x,y)$, y^′=xF(x,y)$y^{\prime }=xF(x,y)$, where the set {F(x,y)=0}$\{F(x,y)=0\}$ consists of k   different isolated points, is defined by k+1$k+1$ concentric annuli. In this paper we perturb it with polynomials of degree n and we study how many limit cycles bifurcate, up to a first order analysis, from all the period annuli simultaneously in terms of k and n  . Additionally, we prove that the associated Abelian integral is piecewise rational and, when k=1$k=1$, the provided upper bound is reached. Finally, the case k=2$k=2$ is also treated.     

Nonparametric likelihood based estimation for a multivariate Lipschitz density

We consider a problem of nonparametric density estimation under shape restrictions. We deal with the case where the density belongs to a class of Lipschitz functions. Devroye [L. Devroye, A Course in Density Estimation, in: Progress in Probability and Statistics, vol. 14, Birkhäuser Boston Inc., Boston, MA, 1987] considered these classes of estimates as tailor-made estimates, in contrast in some way to universally consistent estimates. In our framework we get the existence and uniqueness of the maximum likelihood estimate as well as strong consistency. This NPMLE can be easily characterized but it is not easy to compute. Some simpler approximations are also considered.     

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.     

Bounding the number of zeros of certain Abelian integrals

In this paper we prove a criterion that provides an easy sufficient condition in order for any nontrivial linear combination of n Abelian integrals to have at most n+k−1 zeros counted with multiplicities. This condition involves the functions in the integrand of the Abelian integrals and it can be checked, in many cases, in a purely algebraic way.     

Identifications in modular group algebras

Let G be a group, S a subgroup of G, and F a field of characteristic p. We denote the augmentation ideal of the group algebra FG by ω(G). The Zassenhaus-Jennings-Lazard series of G is defined by D_n(G)=G∩(1+ωⁿ(G)). We give a constructive proof of a theorem of Quillen stating that the graded algebra associated with FG is isomorphic as an algebra to the enveloping algebra of the restricted Lie algebra associated with the D_n(G). We then extend a theorem of Jennings that provides a basis for the quotient ωⁿ(G)/ωⁿ⁺¹(G) in terms of a basis of the restricted Lie algebra associated with the D_n(G). We shall use these theorems to prove the main results of this paper. For G a finite p-group and n a positive integer, we prove that G∩(1+ω(G)ωⁿ(S))=D_n+1(S) and G∩(1+ω²(G)ωⁿ(S))=D_n+2(S)D_n+1(S∩D₂(G)). The analogous results for integral group rings of free groups have been previously obtained by Gruenberg, Hurley, and Sehgal.     

Limit cycles for two families of cubic systems

In this paper we study the number of limit cycles of two families of cubic systems introduced in previous papers to model real phenomena. The first one is motivated by a model of star formation histories in giant spiral galaxies and the second one comes from a model of Volterra type. To prove our results we develop a new criterion on the non-existence of periodic orbits and we extend a well-known criterion on the uniqueness of limit cycles due to Kuang and Freedman. Both results allow to reduce the problem to the control of the sign of certain functions that are treated by algebraic tools. Moreover, in both cases, we prove that when the limit cycles exist they are non-algebraic.     

Periodic orbits in complex Abel equations

This paper is devoted to prove two unexpected properties of the Abel equation dz/dt=z³+B(t)z²+C(t)z, where B and C are smooth, 2π-periodic complex valuated functions, t∈R and z∈C. The first one is that there is no upper bound for its number of isolated 2π-periodic solutions. In contrast, recall that if the functions B and C are real valuated then the number of complex 2π-periodic solutions is at most three. The second property is that there are examples of the above equation with B and C being low degree trigonometric polynomials such that the center variety is formed by infinitely many connected components in the space of coefficients of B and C. This result is also in contrast with the characterization of the center variety for the examples of Abel equations dz/dt=A(t)z³+B(t)z² studied in the literature, where the center variety is located in a finite number of connected components.     

Limit cycles and Lie symmetries

Given a planar vector field U which generates the Lie symmetry of some other vector field X, we prove a new criterion to control the stability of the periodic orbits of U. The problem is linked to a classical problem proposed by A.T. Winfree in the seventies about the existence of isochrons of limit cycles (the question suggested by the study of biological clocks), already answered by Guckenheimer using a different terminology. We apply our criterion to give upper bounds of the number of limit cycles for some families of vector fields as well as to provide a class of vector fields with a prescribed number of hyperbolic limit cycles. Finally we show how this procedure solves the problem of the hyperbolicity of periodic orbits in problems where other criteria, like the classical one of the divergence, fail.