In this article, we explore the bifurcation problem of limit cycles near the double eight figure loop (compound cycle with a 2-polycycle connecting two homoclinic loops). A general theory is established to find the lower bound of the maximal number of limit cycles (isolated periodic orbits) near the double eight figure loop. The Liénard system, a well-known nonlinear dynamical model, appears in a natural way in physics, chemistry, engineering, and so on, where periodic phenomena play a relevant role. As an application, we investigate an $(n+1)$th-order generalized Liénard system and prove the system has at least $7[\frac{n}{6}]+2[\frac{r}{2}]-[\frac{r}{4}]$ limit cycles near the double eight figure loop for any $n\geq5$ and $r=\rm mod(n,6)$, and their distribution is also gained.

For a perturbed generalized Korteweg–de Vries equation with a distributed delay, we prove the existence of both periodic and solitary waves by using the geometric singular perturbation theory and the Melnikov method. We further obtain monotonicity and boundedness of the speed of the periodic wave with respect to the total energy of the unperturbed system. Finally, we establish a relation between the wave speed and the wavelength.

In this paper, we study the quadratic perturbations of a one-parameter family of reversible quadratic systems whose first integral contains the logarithmic function. By the criterion function for determining the lowest upper bound of the number of zeros of Abelian integrals, we obtain that the cyclicity of either period annulus is two. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first result for the cyclicity of period annulus of the one-parameter family of reversible quadratic systems whose first integral contains the logarithmic function. Moreover, the simultaneous bifurcation and distribution of limit cycles from two-period annuli are considered.

We prove that perturbing the periodic annulus of the reversible quadratic polynomial differential system $\dot x=y+ax^2$, $\dot y=-x$ with a ≠ 0 inside the class of all quadratic polynomial differential systems we can obtain at most two limit cycles, including their multiplicities. Since the first integral of the unperturbed system contains an exponential function, the traditional methods cannot be applied, except in Figuerasa, Tucker and Villadelprat (2013, J. Diff. Equ., 254, 3647–3663) a computer-assisted method was used. In this paper, we provide a method for studying the problem. This is also the first purely mathematical proof of the conjecture formulated by Dumortier and Roussarie (2009, Discrete Contin. Dyn. Syst., 2, 723–781) for q ⩽ 2. The method may be used in other problems.

In 1958 started the study of the families of algebraic limit cycles in the class of planar quadratic polynomial differential systems. In the present we known one family of algebraic limit cycles of degree 2 and four families of algebraic limit cycles of degree 4, and that there are no limit cycles of degree 3. All the families of algebraic limit cycles of degree 2 and 4 are known, this is not the case for the families of degree higher than 4. We also know that there exist two families of algebraic limit cycles of degree 5 and one family of degree 6, but we do not know if these families are all the families of degree 5 and 6. Until today it is an open problem to know if there are algebraic limit cycles of degree higher than 6 inside the class of quadratic polynomial differential systems. Here we investigate the birth and death of all the known families of algebraic limit cycles of quadratic polynomial differential systems.

We classify the global phase portraits in the Poincaré disc of the quadratic polynomial Liénard differential systems

\dot{x}=y, \quad \dot{y}=(ax+b)y+cx^2+dx+e,

We prove that one-parameter families of real germs of conformal diffeomorphisms tangent to the involution x ↦−x are rigid in the parameter. We establish a connection between the dynamics in the Poincaré and Siegel domains. Although repeatedly employed in the literature, the dynamics in the Siegel domain does not explain the intrinsic real properties of these germs. Rather, these properties are fully elucidated in the Poincaré domain, where the fixed points are linearizable. However, a detailed study of the dynamics in the Siegel domain is of crucial importance. We relate both points of view on the intersection of the Siegel normalization domains.

Collision of equilibria with a splitting manifold has been locally studied, but might also be a contributing factor to global bifurcations. In particular, a boundary collision can be coincident with collision of a virtual equilibrium with a periodic orbit, giving an analogue to a homoclinic bifurcation. This type of bifurcation is demonstrated in a non-smooth climate application. Here, we describe the non-smooth bifurcation structure, as well as the smooth bifurcation structure for which the non-smooth homoclinic bifurcation is a limiting case.

In this paper we show that the well-known Poincaré–Lyapunov non-degenerate analytic centre problem in the plane and its higher-dimensional version, expressed as the three-dimensional centre problem at the zero-Hopf singularity, have a lot of common properties. In both cases the existence of a neighbourhood of the singularity in the phase space completely foliated by periodic orbits (including equilibria) is characterized by the fact that the system is analytically completely integrable. Hence its Poincaré–Dulac normal form is analytically orbitally linearizable. There also exists an analytic Poincaré return map and, when the system is polynomial and parametrized by its coefficients, the set of systems with centres corresponds to an affine variety in the parameter space of coefficients. Some quadratic polynomial families are considered.

The aim of this paper is to give a detailed analysis of Hopf bifurcation of a ratio-dependent predator–prey system involving two discrete delays. A delay parameter is chosen as the bifurcation parameter for the analysis. Stability of the bifurcating periodic solutions is determined by using the centre manifold theorem and the normal form theory introduced by Hassard et al. Some of the bifurcation properties including the direction, stability and period are given. Finally, our theoretical results are supported by some numerical simulations.

This paper is concerned with the Hopf bifurcation analysis of tumor-immune system competition model with two delays. First, we discuss the stability of state points with different kinds of delays. Then, a sufficient condition to the existence of the Hopf bifurcation is derived with parameters at different points. Furthermore, under this condition, the stability and direction of bifurcation are determined by applying the normal form method and the center manifold theory. Finally, a kind of Runge-Kutta methods is given out to simulate the periodic solutions numerically. At last, some numerical experiments are given to match well with the main conclusion of this paper.

A susceptible–exposed–infectious theoretical model describing Tasmanian devil population and disease dynamics is presented and mathematically analysed using a dynamical systems approach to determine its behaviour under a range of scenarios. The steady states of the system are calculated and their stability analysed. Closed forms for the bifurcation points between these steady states are found using the rate of removal of infected individuals as a bifurcation parameter. A small-amplitude Hopf region, in which the populations oscillate in time, is shown to be present and subjected to numerical analysis. The model is then studied in detail in relation to an unfolding parameter which describes the disease latent period. The model’s behaviour is found to be biologically reasonable for Tasmanian devils and potentially applicable to other species.

This paper is concerned with the bifurcation of limit cycles from a quadratic reversible system under polynomial perturbations. It is proved that the cyclicity of the period annulus is two, and also a linear estimate of the number of zeros of the Abelian integral for the system under polynomial perturbations of arbitrary degree nis given.