Non-equivalence between the Melnikov and the averaging methods for nonsmooth differential systems (Q2169535)

It is known that for smooth differential systems in the plane \(\mathbb{R}^2\) the Melnikov and the averaging methods for studying the limit cycles produce the same results. In this paper authors prove that this is not the case for nonsmooth differential systems in the plane. More specifically, authors consider the following differential system \[ \begin{bmatrix} \dot x \\ \dot y\end{bmatrix}= \begin{cases} \begin{bmatrix} y+\varepsilon A_1(x,y)+\varepsilon^2 A_2(x,y) \\ -x+\varepsilon B_1(x,y)+\varepsilon^2 B_2(x,y) \end{bmatrix}, & h(x,y)\leq0, \\ \begin{bmatrix} y+\varepsilon C_1(x,y)+\varepsilon^2 C_2(x,y) \\ -x+\varepsilon D_1(x,y)+\varepsilon^2 D_2(x,y) \end{bmatrix}, & h(x,y)\leq0, \end{cases} \tag{1} \] where \(h(x,y):=y-x^3\) and \begin{align*} A_i(x,y):=\sum_{j+k=0}^{2}a_{ij}x^jy^k, &\quad B_i(x,y):=\sum_{j+k=0}^{2}b_{ij}x^jy^k, \\ C_i(x,y):=\sum_{j+k=0}^{2}c_{ij}x^jy^k, &\quad D_i(x,y):=\sum_{j+k=0}^{2}d_{ij}x^jy^k, \end{align*} for \(i=1,2, j,k=0,1,2\). Let \(Q_1\) be the set of the conditions \begin{align*} a_{110} &= -b_{101} - c_{110} - d_{101},\,\, a_{120} = c_{120}, \\ a_{111} &= 3a_{100} - b_{120} - 3c_{100} + c_{111} + d_{120}, \\ a_{102} &= -b_{111} + c_{102} + d_{111},\,\, b_{100} = d_{100},\,\, b_{102} = d_{102}, \end{align*} and \(Q_2\) the set of the conditions \begin{align*} a_{100} &= a_{120} = b_{100} = b_{102} = c_{100} = c_{110} = c_{120} = d_{100} = d_{101} = d_{102} = 0, \\ a_{102} &= -b_{111},\,\, a_{110} = -b_{101},\,\, a_{111} = -b_{120},\,\, c_{101} = -d_{110}, \\ c_{111} &= -d_{120},\,\, c_{102} = -d_{111}, \end{align*} where \(Q_2\) is a subset of \(Q_1\). Within this framework, they first prove that, for \(|\varepsilon|\) sufficiently small, system (1), using the averaging theory of first order, has at most 5 crossing limit cycles when the condition \(Q_1\) does not hold. Moreover one can choose parameters \(a_{ijk}, b_{ijk}, c_{ijk}\) and \(d_{ijk}\) (\(i = 1, 2, j, k = 0, 1, 2\) and \(0\leq j +k\leq2\)) such that system (1) has exactly 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 crossing limit cycles. Their second main result states that, for \(|\varepsilon|\) sufficiently small system (1) using the averaging theory of second order has at most 5 crossing limit cycles when the condition \(Q_2\) holds. Moreover one choose parameters \(a_{ijk} , b_{ijk} , c_{ijk}\) and \(d_{ijk}\) (\(i = 1, 2, j, k = 0, 1, 2\) and \(0\leq j +k\leq 2\)) such that system (1) has exactly 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 crossing limit cycles. From these new results, and relying on some recent literature, it follows that the Melnikov and the averaging methods do not produce the same results on the number of crossing limit cycles when the differential systems are nonsmooth, while the number of limit cycles obtained by these two methods coincide for smooth systems.