Solution of the parametric center problem for the Abel differential equation (Q2012448)

An Abel differential equation is an ordinary differential equation of the first kind of the form \[ y' \, = \, p(x) y^2 + q(x) y^3, \] where \(x\) and \(y\) are real, the prime denotes derivation of the dependent variable \(y\) with respect to the dependent variable \(x\) and \(p(x)\) and \(q(x)\) are continuous functions on a real interval \([a,b]\), with \(a<b\). This equation is said to have a center on the interval \([a,b]\) if for any value of \(y(a)\) with \(|y(a)|\) small enough one has that \(y(b) = y(a)\). In the case that \(p(x)\) and \(q(x)\) are real polynomials, the center problem can be generically and theoretically solved by using the Poincaré map and the recognition of families of centers. However, this problem is far to be solved in practice due, in one hand, to the cumbersome computations needed to get necessary conditions for having a center and, on the other hand, to the present comprehension of center families. The present paper deals with a weaker problem, called the \textit{parametric center problem} for polynomial Abel equations. The Abel equations that have a parametric center are also called to have an infinitesimal center or a persistent center. There is a vast literature on the subject, see for example [\textit{M. A. M. Alwash}, Expo. Math. 27, No. 3, 241--250 (2009; Zbl 1190.34048)] for an introduction to the problem and the paper [\textit{A. Cima} et al., Qual. Theory Dyn. Syst. 11, No. 1, 19--37 (2012; Zbl 1264.34055)] for nice contributions to it. The present paper provides a solution for the parametric center problem in the polynomial case. Given an Abel differential equation of the form \[ y' \, = \, p(x) y^2 + \varepsilon q(x) y^3, \] where \(x\) and \(y\) are as before, \(p(x), q(x) \in \mathbb{R}[x]\) and \(\varepsilon\) is a real parameter, the parametric center problem asks for the conditions on \(p\) and \(q\) such that the latter equation has a center for any \(\varepsilon \in \mathbb{R}\). As proved in this paper, the answer is that a necessary and sufficient condition for having a parametric center is that the polynomials \(P \, = \, \int p(x) dx\) and \(Q \, = \, \int q(x) dx\) satisfy the composition condition. The composition condition is that there exist polynomials \(\tilde{P}\), \(\tilde{Q}\) and \(w\) such that \[ P(x) \, = \, \tilde{P}(w(x)), \quad Q(x) \, = \, \tilde{Q}(w(x)) \quad \text{and} \quad w(a) = w(b). \] The proof of this characterization relies on the fact that the parametric center problem is equivalent to the vanishing of all the polynomial moments of the form \[ \int_{a}^{b} P^i dQ \quad \text{and} \quad \int_{a}^{b} Q^i dP \quad \text{for }i \geq 0. \]