Existence of transversal homoclinic points in a degenerate case (Q2644823)

This interesting paper deals with the periodic differential equation \((1)\quad \dot x=g(x)+\mu h(t,x,\mu),\) where \(x\in {\mathbb{R}}^ k\), \(\mu\in {\mathbb{R}}\), h(t,x,\(\mu\)) is T-periodic in its first variable, and the unperturbed system (2) \(\dot x=g(x)\) has a saddle point \(x_ 0\). The author studies the conditions under which the periodic map for equation (1) has a transversal homoclinic point. Two cases are considered: (i) The perturbed system (2) has a one-parameter family of solutions \(\phi\) (t,\(\beta\)), such that \(| \phi (t,\beta)-x_ 0| \to 0\) as \(| t| \to \infty\). (ii) The system (2) has a solution \(\phi\) (t) with \(| \phi (t)-x_ 0| \to 0\) as \(| t| \to \infty\). In both cases the author makes the following ``degenerate'' condition: The tangent spaces to the stable and unstable manifolds of the saddle point \(x_ 0\) have a two-dimensional intersection. The results are formulated in terms of a suitable Mel'nikov function. In the course of the investigation of the second case, an abstract bifurcation theorem is proved.