Sharp upperbounds for the number of large amplitude limit cycles in polynomial Liénard systems (Q414762)

Consider the polynomial Liénard differential equation \[ x''+Q(x)x'+P(x)=0 \] with \(P\) and \(Q\) polynomials of respective strict degrees \(m\) and \(n\). This second-order differential equation in the so-called Liénard plane writes as the planar system \[ x'=y-F(x), \;y'=-P(x), \] where \(F'(x)=Q(x)\) and \(F(0)=0.\) In a suitable compactification and for some polynomials \(P\) and \(Q\), the above system presents a polycycle \(L\) with two corners at infinity, both being semi-hyperbolic saddles, when \(m<2n+1\) and both \(m\) and \(n\) are odd. In a previous paper of the author in collaboration with Caubergh and Luca, an upper bound for the cyclicity of \(L\) is given. In the present paper, this bound is decreased by one unity. It is asserted without proof that this new upper bound is sharp.