Geometric singular perturbation theory for systems with symmetry (Q2134116)

A differential system \[ \frac {dz}{dt} = H(z), \quad z \in M, \] is said to have a symmetry \(\phi\) if \(\phi: M \to M\) is an involutive diffeomorphism such that \(\frac {d ( \phi(z)) }{dt} =(H \circ \phi)(z),\) for all \(z \in M\). A symmetry preserves trajectories \(\gamma(t)\) of the system in the sense that \(\phi(\gamma(t))\) are also trajectories. On the other hand, if \(\phi\) is such that \(\frac {d (\phi(z)) }{dt} = -(H \circ \phi)(z),\) then the system has a reversing symmetry \(\phi\). In this case, if \(\gamma(t)\) is a trajectory, then \(\phi(\gamma(-t))\) is also a trajectory. Let us now consider a system of singularly perturbed ordinary differential equations with \(0<\epsilon\ll 1\) \[ \frac {dx}{d t}= f(x,y, \epsilon), \quad \frac {dx}{dt}= \epsilon g(x,y, \epsilon), \tag{1} \] where \((x,y) \in U\subset \mathbb R^m\times \mathbb R^n\) and \(U\) is an open set with compact closure. When applying the geometric singular perturbation theory, this system is considered along with another scaling of it, \[ \epsilon \frac {dx}{d\tau}= f(x,y,\epsilon), \quad \frac {dy}{d\tau}= g(x,y, \epsilon),\tag{2} \] where \(\tau = t/\epsilon\). In the limit \(\epsilon \to 0\), system (1) leads to the layer problem \[ \frac {dx}{dt}= f(x,y,0), \quad \frac {dx}{dt}= 0,\tag{3} \] and system (2) leads to the reduced problem \[ 0 = f(x,y, 0), \quad \frac {dy}{d\tau}= g(x,y,0).\tag{4} \] The latter describes the evolution of the slow variable \(y\) on the invariant set \(S_0= \{(x,y,0)\in U: f(x,y,0)=0\}\). When \(\epsilon\) is sufficiently small, under certain conditions, the observations made about the flow in system (3) and the flow in system (4) may be extended to system (2) because an \(\epsilon\)-order perturbation \(S_\epsilon\) of the set \(S_0\) exists which is invariant for system (2) and the flow on \(S_\epsilon\) is an \(\epsilon\)-order perturbation of the flow of the reduced problem (4). This paper explores what the symmetry or a reversing symmetry of system (2) means for the layer problem, the reduced flow, and the manifold \(S_0\). The results presented in the paper depend on whether \(m\) is odd or even. The interplay of the normal hyperbolicity of \(S_0\) and the symmetries is also explored.