On the focus order of planar polynomial differential equations (Q1016470): Difference between revisions

Consider the real system of ordinary differential equations on the plane written in complex form as \[ \dot z = i z + P_n(z, \bar z), \] where \(P_n\) is a homogeneous polynomial of degree \(n \geq 2\). The authors prove that for \(n\) even (respectively, odd) there exists such a system for which the origin is a fine focus of order at least \(n^2 - 1\) (respectively, \(\frac12(n^2 - 1)\)). For \(n < 20\) they construct concrete systems that possess a fine focus of order \(n^2 + n - 2\) (respectively, \(\frac12(n^2 + n - 2\))), and conjecture that the same construction will give identical results for all \(n\). (The number 20 arises simply as the point at which they stopped checking.) They also construct concrete systems for which, when \(n + 1 \geq 5\) is a power of a prime, the origin is a fine focus of order \(n^2 - n\).