Limit cycles of Abel equations of the first kind (Q465441)

Consider the scalar differential equation \[ {dx\over dt}= \sum^m_{i=0} a_i(t) x^{n_i},\tag{\(*\)} \] where all \(a_i\) are \(T\)-periodic analytic functions, and \(1\leq n_i\leq n\). For any (given) polynomial \(Q(x)= x^{n_0}- \sum^m_{i=1} \alpha_i x^{n_i}\), \((*)\) can be written in the form \[ {dx\over dt}= a_0(t) Q(x)+ R(t,x).\tag{\(**\)} \] Let \(W\) be the Wronskian of \(Q\) and \(R\), that is \[ W(t,x)= Q(x) R_x(t,x)- R(t,x) Q'(x). \] The authors prove that if \(V\) is a connected component of \[ U:= \{(t,x)\in \mathbb{R}^2: W(t,x) Q(x)\neq 0\}, \] then there is at most one closed orbit of \((**)\) in \(V\). Under additional conditions which imply that closed orbits are either contained in \(U\) or disjoint with \(U\), it is proved that the maximum number of connected components of \(U\) is \(3n-1\) which implies an upper bound for the closed orbits of \((**)\).