On the determination of the basin of attraction of a periodic orbit in two-dimensional systems (Q2642129)

Let a system \(\dot x = f(x) = A x + \cdots\) on \(D \subset \mathbb{R}^2\) be given, and let \(K\) be a nonempty, compact, positively invariant subset of \(D\) on which \(| | f| | \) is nowhere zero. It is known that for \(L = | | f| | ^{-2} (-f_2, f_1) Df\binom{-f_2}{f_1}\), if there exists a \(C^1\) function \(W\) on \(D\) such that the maximum of \(L + \langle \triangledown W, f \rangle\) is negative on \(K\), then \(K\) contains a unique stable limit cycle whose basin of attraction contains \(K\). The author develops a method to both prove existence of and approximate suitable \(W\) and \(K\) using approximate solutions of certain partial differential equations via radial basis functions. The method is illustrated by applying it to the van der Pol equation with damping parameter 1.