On \(C^{r}\)-closing for flows on orientable and non-orientable 2-manifolds (Q1041289)

This paper provides partial affirmative answers to the two following longstanding problems. 1. \(C^r\) Closing Lemma Problem. Let \(M\) be a smooth compact manifold and let \(r\geq 1\) be an integer. Given a \(C^r\) vector field \(X\) on \(M\) (\(X\in{\mathfrak X}^r(M)\)), a non-trivially recurrent point \(p\in M\) and a neighbourhood \(U\subset{\mathfrak X}^r(M)\) of X, does there exist \(Y\in U\) with a periodic orbit passing through \(p\)? 2. \(C^r\) Connecting Lemma Question. Let \(X\in{\mathfrak X}^r(M)\) have finitely many singularities, all hyperbolic (at least one singularity). Suppose that \(X\) has a non-trivial recurrent trajectory. Does there exist an arbitrarily small \(C^r\) perturbation of \(X\) such that the resulting vector field has one more saddle connection than \(X\)? It is worth mentioning that the first problem was listed by S. Smale in 2000 as one of the ``problems for the next century'' [see \textit{S. Smale}, Math. Intell. 20, No.~2, 7--15 (1998; Zbl 0947.01011)]. Let \(M\) be a compact, connected, boundaryless, smooth surface. \({\mathfrak X}^r_H(M)\) denotes the open subspace of \({\mathfrak X}^r(M)\) formed by the \(C^r\) vector fields on \(M\) having at least one singularity, all hyperbolic. \(X\in{\mathfrak X}^r_H(M)\) has the infinitesimal contraction property at a subset \(V\) of \(M\) if for every non-trivial recurrent point \(p\in V\) and for every transversal segment \(\Sigma_1\) to \(X\) passing trough \(p\), there exists a subsegment \(\Sigma\), \(p\in\Sigma\subset \Sigma_1\), such that the forward Poincré map \(P:\Sigma\to \Sigma\) induced by \(X\) satisfies \(|DP(x)|<\kappa\) for all \(x\) and for a \(\kappa\in(0,1)\). We state now the main results of the paper. The first one is an affirmative answer to the \(C^r\) closing lemma problem: Theorem 1. Suppose that \(X\in{\mathfrak X}^r_H(M)\), \(r\geq 2\), has the contraction property at a quasiminimal set \(N\). For each \(p\in N\), there exists \(Y\in{\mathfrak X}^r_H(M)\) arbitrarily \(C^r\) close to \(X\) having a periodic trajectory containing \(p\). The second theorem answers positively to the \(C^r\) connecting lemma question: Theorem 2. Suppose that \(X\in{\mathfrak X}^r_H(M)\), \(r\geq 2\), has the contraction property at a quasiminimal set \(N\). There exists \(Y\in{\mathfrak X}^r_H(M)\) arbitrarily \(C^r\) close to \(X\) having one more saddle connection than \(X\). Finally the authors provides some conditions that guarantee the contraction property: Theorem 3. Suppose that \(X\in{\mathfrak X}^r_H(M)\), \(r\geq 2\), has divergence less or equal to zero at its saddle points and that \(X\) has negative Lyapunov exponents at a quasiminimal set \(N\). Then \(X\) has the infinitesimal contraction property at \(N\). It is sad mentioning that Professor Carlos Gutierrez, the author of very deep mathematical results, passed away in December 2008.