Periodic orbits for perturbations of piecewise linear systems

We consider the existence of periodic orbits in a class of three-dimensional piecewise linear systems. Firstly, we describe the dynamical behavior of a non-generic piecewise linear system which has two equilibria and one two-dimensional invariant manifold foliated by periodic orbits. The aim of this work is to study the periodic orbits of the continuum that persist under a piecewise linear perturbation of the system. In order to analyze this situation, we build a real function of real variable whose zeros are related to the limit cycles that remain after the perturbation. By using this function, we state some results of existence and stability of limit cycles in the perturbed system, as well as results of bifurcations of limit cycles. The techniques presented are similar to the Melnikov theory for smooth systems and the method of averaging.     

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.     

Weakly coupled oscillators and topological degree

By using the topological degree of Brouwer for mappings along with averaging method, we study the existence of forced periodic solutions for certain weakly coupled periodically perturbed ordinary differential equations.     

Averaging methods for finding periodic orbits via Brouwer degree

We consider the problem of finding T-periodic solutions for a differential system whose vector field depend on a small parameter ε. An answer to this problem can be given using the averaging method. Our main results are in this direction, but our approach is new. We use topological methods based on Brouwer degree theory to solve operator equations equivalent to this problem. The regularity assumptions are weaker then in the known results (up to second order in ε). A result for third order averaging method is also given.As an application we provide a way to study bifurcations of limit cycles from the period annulus of a planar system and notice relations with the displacement function. A concrete example is given.     

Radially symmetric systems with a singularity and asymptotically linear growth

We prove the existence of infinitely many periodic solutions for radially symmetric systems with a singularity of repulsive type. The nonlinearity is assumed to have a linear growth at infinity, being controlled by two constants which have a precise interpretation in terms of the Dancer-Fu?ik spectrum. Our result generalizes an existence theorem by Del Pino et al. (1992) [4], obtained in the case of a scalar second order differential equation.     

Multiple brake orbits in bounded convex symmetric domains

In this paper, we prove that there exist at least two geometrically distinct brake orbits in every bounded convex symmetric domain in .     

Hopf bifurcation in symmetric configuration of predator-prey-mutualist systems

In this paper we apply the equivariant degree method to study Hopf bifurcations in a system of differential equations describing a symmetric predator-prey-mutualist model with diffusive migration between interacting communities. A topological classification (according to symmetry types), of symmetric Hopf bifurcation in configurations of populations with D₈, D₁₂, A₄ and S₄ symmetries, is presented with estimation on minimal number of bifurcating branches of periodic solutions.     

Reversible periodic orbits in a class of 3D continuous piecewise linear systems of differential equations

The so-called noose bifurcation is an interesting structure of reversible periodic orbits that was numerically detected by Kent and Elgin in the well-known Michelson system. In this work we perform an analysis of the periodic behavior of a piecewise version of the Michelson system where this bifurcation also exists. This variant is a one-parameter three-dimensional piecewise linear continuous system with two zones separated by a plane and it is also a representative of a wide class of reversible divergence-free systems.     

Periodic orbits for a class of C 1 three-dimensional systems

We studyC ¹ perturbations of a reversible polynomial differential system of degree 4 in. We introduce the concept of strongly reversible vector field. If the perturbation is strongly reversible, the dynamics of the perturbed system does not change. For non-strongly reversible perturbations we prove the existence of an arbitrary number of symmetric periodic orbits. Additionally, we provide a polynomial vector field of degree 4 in with infinitely many limit cycles in a bounded domain if a generic assumption is satisfied. The first two authors are partially supported by a MCYT grant number MTM2005-06098-C02-01, and by a CICYT grant number 2005SGR 00550. The second author is partially supported by a FAPESP-BRAZIL grant 10246-2. All authors are also supported by the joint project CAPES-MECD grant HBP2003-0017.     

Periodic solutions of a class of second order non-autonomous Hamiltonian systems

Some existence theorems are obtained for periodic solutions of non-autonomous second order systems by using the least action principle and minimax methods in critical point theory. Our results extend and improve many previously known results.     

A simplification of Stenger's topological degree formula

Summary A formula due to F. Stenger expresses the topological degree of a continuous mapping defined on a polyhedron inR ⁿ as a constant times a sum of determinants ofn×n matrices. We replace these determinant evaluations by a scanning procedure which examines their associated matrices and at each ofn–1 steps discards at least half of the matrices remaining from the previous step. Finally we obtain a lower bound for the number of matrices present originally, thus giving an estimate for the minimum amount of labour needed in many cases to compute the degree using this method.     

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.     

Bifurcation of periodic orbits in a class of planar Filippov systems

In this paper we discuss the perturbations of a general planar Filippov system with exactly one switching line. When the system has a limit cycle, we give a condition for its persistence; when the system has an annulus of periodic orbits, we give a condition under which limit cycles are bifurcated from the annulus. We also further discuss the stability and bifurcations of a nonhyperbolic limit cycle. When the system has an annulus of periodic orbits, we show via an example how the number of limit cycles bifurcated from the annulus is affected by the switching.     

A note on topological methods for a class of differential-algebraic equations

We study a particular class of autonomous Differential-Algebraic Equations that are equivalent to Ordinary Differential Equations on manifolds. Under appropriate assumptions we determine a straightforward formula for the computation of the degree of the associated tangent vector field that does not require any explicit knowledge of the manifold. We use this formula to study the set of harmonic solutions to periodic perturbations of our equations. Two different classes of applications are provided.     

Periodic solutions for some second order differential equations with singularity

In this paper, we will prove the existence of infinitely many harmonic and subharmonic solutions for the second order differential equation ẍ + g(x) = f(t, x) using the phase plane analysis methods and Poincaré–Birkhoff Theorem, where the nonlinear restoring field g exhibits superlinear conditions near the infinity and strong singularity at the origin, and f(t, x) = a(t)x ^γ + b(t, x) where 0 ≤ γ ≤ 1 and b(t, x) is bounded. This project was supported by the Program for New Century Excellent Talents of Ministry of Education of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10671020 and 10301006).     

Perturbations of symmetric elliptic Hamiltonians of degree four

In this paper four-parameter unfoldings Xλ of symmetric elliptic Hamiltonians of degree four are studied. We prove that in a compact region of the period annulus of X₀ the displacement function of Xλ is sign equivalent to its principal part, which is given by a family induced by a Chebychev system; and we describe the bifurcation diagram of Xλ in a full neighborhood of the origin in the parameter space, where at most two limit cycles can exist for the corresponding systems.     

Periodic solutions of some second-order differential equations with desultorily sublinear nonlinearities

In this paper, we study the existence of periodic solutions of the Rayleigh equations

x^″+f(x^′)+g(x)=e(t).     

Special isoparametric orbits in Riemannian symmetric spaces

In the present paper orbits of isotropy subgroups in Riemannian symmetric spaces are discussed. Principal orbits of an isotropy subgroup are isoparametric in the sense of Palais and Terng (seeCritical Point Theory and Submanifold Geometry, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1988). We show that excepting some special cases, the shape operator with respect to the radial unit vector field determines a totally geodesic foliation on a given principal orbit. Furthermore, we prove that the shape operators and the curvature endomorphisms with respect to the normal vectors commute on these isoparametric submanifolds.     

Periodic solutions of nonlocal semilinear fourth-order differential equations

In this paper we study the existence of periodic solutions with prescribed wavelength for two classes of nonlocal fourth-order nonautonomous differential equations. Existence of nontrivial solutions for the first equation is proved using Clark’s theorem. Existence of nontrivial solutions for the second equation is proved using the symmetric mountain-pass theorem.