Melnikov functions for period annulus, nondegenerate centers, heteroclinic and homoclinic cycles. (Q1880120)

This paper is devoted to the problem of the existence of periodic solutions of an analytical autonomous system in the plane, depending on a small parameter. It is assumed that, when the parameter is set to zero, the equation is Hamiltonian and has either a nondegenerate center (i.e., a center with purely imaginary eigenvalues) or a heteroclinic cycle. By studying the Poincaré return map for the perturbed system, the authors construct the Melnikov functions associated to the system and give an analytical expression of the first of them which is not zero. These results are then used to obtain a partial answer to Hilbert's 16th problem on the number of limit cycles of systems in the plane, and also to study the existence co period annulus, that is an annulus filled with periodic solution of the system.