Asymptotic behavior of periodic solutions in one-parameter families of Liénard equations (Q2280399)

Consider the scalar differential equation \[x^{\prime\prime}+\lambda f(x)x'+x=0\tag{*}\] depending on the real parameter \(\lambda>0\). Under the assumptions \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] Equation (*) has at most one limit cycle \(\Gamma_\lambda\). \item[(ii)] \(f\in C^2(\mathbb{R},\mathbb{R})\) has exactly two zeros \(x_M\) and \(x_m\) satisfying \(x_M<0<x_m\), \(f'(x_M)<0<f'(x_m)\).\item [(iii)] The straight lines \(y=F(x_M):=\int^{x_M}_0f(x)dx\) and \(y= F(x_m)\) passing the points \(A=(x_M,F(x_M))\) and \(B=(x_m,F(x_m))\) intersect the graphic of \(F\), \(Gr(F):=\{(x_1F(x))\text{ for }x\in \mathbb{R}\}\) at the points \(A'\ne A\) and \(B'\ne B\), respectively. \end{itemize} The authors prove that (*) has a unique limit cycle \(\Gamma_\lambda\), describe the asymptotic behavior of \(\Gamma_\lambda\) as \(\lambda\) tends to 0 (bifurcation from a circle) and as \(\lambda\) tends to \(+\infty\) (bifurcating from a closed curve corresponding to a discontinuous periodic solution of a degenerate singularly perturbed system). Additionally, they describe an annulus containing \(\Gamma_\lambda\) for \(\lambda>0\). The proofs rely on averaging \((\lambda\to 0)\) and geometric singular perturbation theory \((\lambda\to+\infty)\). Nothing is mentioned about the stability of \(\Gamma_\lambda\).