The nondegenerate center problem and the inverse integrating factor

In this paper we study some aspects of the nondegenerate center problem for analytic and, in particular, for polynomial vector fields. The relation between the existence of an inverse integrating factor and the center problem is studied. The relationship between the conditions for a center using the Poincaré formal series and the inverse integrating factor formal series for systems with a linear center perturbed by homogeneous polynomials is proved.     

Phase portraits of quadratic polynomial vector fields having a rational first integral of degree 2

We classify all the global phase portraits of the quadratic polynomial vector fields having a rational first integral of degree 2. In other words we characterize all the global phase portraits of the quadratic polynomial vector fields having all their orbits contained in conics. For such a vector field there are exactly 25 different global phase portraits in the Poincaré disc, up to a reversal of sense.     

On the remarkable values of the rational first integrals of polynomial vector fields

The remarkable values for polynomial vector fields in the plane having a rational first integral were introduced by Poincaré. He was mainly interested in their algebraic aspects. Here we are interested in their dynamic aspects; i.e. how they contribute to the phase portrait of the system, to its separatrices, to its singular points, etc. The relationship between remarkable values and dynamics mainly takes place through the inverse integrating factor.     

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.     

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.     

Structural stability of piecewise-linear vector fields

Stability and genericity properties established for polynomial vector fields in the plane, extended to the Poincaré sphere, are proved for a class of piecewise-linear 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.     

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.     

Center conditions and bifurcation of limit cycles at degenerate singular points in a quintic polynomial differential system

The center problem and bifurcation of limit cycles for degenerate singular points are far to be solved in general. In this paper, we study center conditions and bifurcation of limit cycles at the degenerate singular point in a class of quintic polynomial vector field with a small parameter and eight normal parameters. We deduce a recursion formula for singular point quantities at the degenerate singular points in this system and reach with relative ease an expression of the first five quantities at the degenerate singular point. The center conditions for the degenerate singular point of this system are derived. Consequently, we construct a quintic system, which can bifurcates 5 limit cycles in the neighborhood of the degenerate singular point. The positions of these limit cycles can be pointed out exactly without constructing Poincaré cycle fields. The technique employed in this work is essentially different from more usual ones. The recursion formula we present in this paper for the calculation of singular point quantities at degenerate singular point is linear and then avoids complex integrating operations.     

Two-dimensional Fuchsian systems and the Chebyshev property

Let (x(t),y(t))^? be a solution of a Fuchsian system of order two with three singular points. The vector space of functions of the form P(t)x(t)+Q(t)y(t), where P,Q are real polynomials, has a natural filtration of vector spaces, according to the asymptotic behavior of the functions at infinity. We describe a two-parameter class of Fuchsian systems, for which the corresponding vector spaces obey the Chebyshev property (the maximal number of isolated zeros of each function is less than the dimension of the vector space). Up to now, only a few particular systems were known to possess such a non-oscillation property. It is remarkable that most of these systems are of the type studied in the present paper. We apply our results in estimating the number of limit cycles that appear after small polynomial perturbations of several quadratic or cubic Hamiltonian systems in the plane.     

Phase portraits of quadratic polynomial vector fields having a rational first integral of degree 3

In this paper, we classify all the global phase portraits of the quadratic polynomial vector fields having a rational first integral of degree 3.     

On the number of limit cycles of some systems on the cylinder

In this article we give two criteria for bounding the number of non-contractible limit cycles of a family of differential systems on the cylinder. This family includes Abel equations as well as the polar expression of several types of planar polynomial systems given by the sum of three homogeneous vector fields.     

Polynomial inverse integrating factors for quadratic differential systems

We characterize all the quadratic polynomial differential systems having a polynomial inverse integrating factor and provide explicit normal forms for such systems and for their associated first integrals. We also prove that these families of quadratic systems have no limit cycles.     

An explicit expression for the first return map in the center problem

The classical center-focus problem posed by H. Poincaré in 1880's asks about the characterization of planar polynomial vector fields such that all their integral trajectories are closed curves whose interiors contain a fixed point, a center. In this paper, we present a method allowing for the first time to obtain an explicit expression for the first return map in the center problem.     

An algebraic model for the center problem

We construct an algebraic model for the Center Problem for equation . This problem is related to the classical Poincaré Center-Focus problem for polynomial vector fields.     

Polynomial differential systems having a given Darbouxian first integral

The Darbouxian theory of integrability allows to determine when a polynomial differential system in has a first integral of the kind f₁^λ₁?f_p^λ_pexp(g/h) where f_i, g and h are polynomials in , and for i=1,…,p. The functions of this form are called Darbouxian functions. Here, we solve the inverse problem, i.e. we characterize the polynomial vector fields in having a given Darbouxian function as a first integral.On the other hand, using information about the degree of the invariant algebraic curves of a polynomial vector field, we improve the conditions for the existence of an integrating factor in the Darbouxian theory of integrability.     

Planar quasi-homogeneous polynomial differential systems and their integrability

In this paper we study the quasi-homogeneous polynomial differential systems and provide an algorithm for obtaining all these systems with a given degree. Using this algorithm we obtain all quasi-homogeneous vector fields of degree 2 and 3.     

No limit cycle in two species second order kinetics

We give a new and direct proof of the nonexistence of limit cycle in a bimolecular system and the characterization of the unique bimolecular oscillator. The proof is an application of classification theorems on vector fields with homogeneous second degree polynomial perturbations.     

A new approach to center conditions for simple analytic monodromic singularities

In this paper we present an alternative algorithm for computing Poincaré-Lyapunov constants of simple monodromic singularities of planar analytic vector fields based on the concept of inverse integrating factor. Simple monodromic singular points are those for which after performing the first (generalized) polar blow-up, there appear no singular points. In other words, the associated Poincaré return map is analytic. An improvement of the method determines a priori the minimum number of Poincaré-Lyapunov constants which must cancel to ensure that the monodromic singularity is in fact a center when the explicit Laurent series of an inverse integrating factor is known in (generalized) polar coordinates. Several examples show the usefulness of the method.     

Compactification and desingularization of spaces of polynomial Liénard equations

The paper deals with polynomial Liénard equations of type (m,n), i.e. planar vector fields associated to a scalar second order differential equation , with f and g polynomials of respective degree m and n. It is shown that, besides compactifying the phase plane, or the Liénard plane, one can also compactify and desingularize the space of Liénard equations of type (m,n) for each (m,n) separately, by adding both singular perturbation problems and Hamiltonian perturbation problems.