Remarks on rational vector fields on \(\mathbb{CP}^1\) (Q2660568)

The authors introduce some geometric tools to study parametric families of complex rational vector fields of a given degree over the Riemann sphere \(\mathbb{CP}^1\). To a generic vector field of such a family, the authors associate several geometric objects, such as the periodgon (polygon of the periods), a star domain, and a translation surface (see [the reviewer, Math. Ann. 322, No. 2, 229--265 (2002; Zbl 1047.37032)] for a comparison). The associated objects are a valuable tool to describe the bifurcations of the real phase portraits on \(\mathbb{CP}^1\) inside the families of vector fields, having suitable parameters. Very roughly speaking, the bifurcations of the vector fields easily come from the change of the shape of the geometric objects. The work specializes to the case of rational vector fields of degree 4. Several interesting open questions are proposed. Let us recall some previous works on this subject: [\textit{O. Hajek}, Czech. Math. J. 16(91), 14--27, 28--35, 36--40 (1966; Zbl 0145.32401); \textit{H. E. Benzinger}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 326, No. 2, 465--483 (1991; Zbl 0727.34004), the reviewer and \textit{C. Valero-Valdés}, Ergodic Theory Dyn. Syst. 15, No. 6, 1211--1222 (1995; Zbl 0863.58056)] and an unpublished manuscript due to Douady et al. around 2000.