Infinite orbit depth and length of Melnikov functions (Q2334994)

This paper is motivated by two classical problems in the investigations of orbits for planar vector fields: the 16-th Hilbert problem and the center problem or rather their infinitesimal version. The study of a small perturbations \(dF+\epsilon \omega=0\) for a polynomial Hamiltonian systems \(dF=0\) in the plane is based on the fact that the first nonzero Melnikov function \(M_{\mu}=M_{\mu}(F,\gamma,\omega)\) of the Poincaré map along a loop \(\gamma\) of the system \(dF=0\) is given by an iterated integral. In their previous work [Mosc. Math. J. 18, No. 2, 367--386 (2018; Zbl 1418.34075)], the authors bounded the length of the iterated integral \(M_{\mu}\) by a geometric number \(k=k(F,\gamma)\), called orbit depth, and conjectured that the bound is optimal. Here, they give a simple example of a Hamiltonian system and its orbit \(\gamma\) having infinite orbit depth. If such a conjecture is true there should exist deformations \(dF+\epsilon \omega\) with arbitrary high length for the first nonzero Melnikov function \(M_{\mu}\) along \(\gamma\). The authors construct deformations \(dF+\epsilon \omega=0\) where the function \(M_{\mu}\) has the length three and as well explain the difficulties in constructing deformations having higher length.