Integrability, degenerate centers, and limit cycles for a class of polynomial differential systems (Q2475915)

This paper considers the class of polynomial differential equations \[ \dot{x} = P_n(x,y) + P_{n+1}(x,y) + P_{n+2}(x,y), \dot{y} = Q_n(x,y) + Q_{n+1}(x,y) + Q_{n+2}(x,y) \] for \(n\geq 1\) and where \(P_i\) and \(Q_i\) are homogeneous polynomials of degree \(i\). The authors identify a new subclass of Darboux integrable systems after rewrite the equations using polar coordinates \((r,\theta)\) defined by \(x = r \cos \theta, y = r \sin \theta\). The corresponding equations have the form of Abel differential equation \[ dr/d\theta = [f_{n+1}(\theta) r + f_{n+2}(\theta) r^2 + f_{n+3}(\theta) r^3]/g_{n+1}(\theta). \] and some of them have a degenerate center, i.e., a center with linear part identically zero. Moreover, under additional conditions such Darboux integrable systems can have at most one limit cycle. The explicit expression of this limit cycle is also obtained.