Nilpotent Jacobians and almost global stability (Q2665528)

Let \(G: \mathbb R^n \to \mathbb R^n\) be a class \(C^1\) vector field with \(G(0)=0\) for which the eigenvalues of \(JG (x)\) have negative real part for all \(x \in \mathbb R^n\) (\(G\) is a \textit{Hurwitz} vector field). The Markus-Yamabe problem [\textit{L. Markus} and \textit{H. Yamabe}, Osaka Math. J. 12, 305--317 (1960; Zbl 0096.28802)] asks whether the system \(\dot{x} = G (x)\) has the origin as a global attractor. The answer is yes for \(n \leq 2\) by work of \textit{R. Feßler} [Ann. Polon. Math. 62, 45--74 (1995; Zbl 0835.34052)], \textit{A. A. Glutsyuk} [Russ. Math. Surv. 49, 185--186 (1994; Zbl 0828.34041)] and \textit{C. Gutiérrez} [Ann. Inst. Henri Poincaré, Anal. Non Linéaire 12, 627--671 (1995; Zbl 0837.34057)], but for \(n \geq 3\) there are counterexamples of the form \(G = \lambda I + H\) with \(\lambda < 0\) and \(JH\) nilpotent due to \textit{A. Cima} et al. [Adv. Math. 131, 453--457 (1997; Zbl 0896.34042)]. \textit{B. Pires} and \textit{R. Rabanal} studied \textit{almost Hurwitz} vector fields for \(n=2\) [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 142, 3117--3128 (2014; Zbl 1312.34071)], meaning that the real part of the eigenvalues of \(JG (x)\) are negative away from a set of Lebesque measure zero. The authors give examples of almost Hurwitz vector fields \(F: \mathbb R^n \to \mathbb R^n\) in even dimension \(n \geq 2\) using polynomial maps with nilpotent Jacobian having linearly dependent rows for which the origin is an \textit{almost global attractor} (a global attractor except for a set of initial states with Lebesque measure zero) which is not locally asymptotically stable. Furthermore \(\mathcal F = \gamma I + F\) with \(\gamma<0\) is a Hurwitz vector field admitting an explicitly given density function having the origin at a global attractor. Finally, they give examples supporting the weak Markus-Yamabe Conjecture and the Jacobian Conjecture of the form \(I+H\) with \(JH\) nilpotent having linearly independent rows.