Two mechanical systems and equivariant degree (Q4953585)

The author investigates two spring-pendulum systems. The first system consists of a spring which moves vertically and has a rigid pendulum attached at the end. The second is a pendulum with an elastic shaft. Both systems lead to an \(S^1\times S^1\)-symmetric bifurcation problem combining a spatial \(S^1\)-symmetry with an \(S^1\)-symmetry coming from time shifts on a space of \(2\pi\)-periodic functions. The main theorem of the paper states the existence of a branch of oscillations where the pendulum moves periodically in space combining space and time periodicity. This branch of two-dimensional orbits bifurcates from a branch of one-dimensional orbits consisting of vertical oscillations of the spring. The proof is based on an equivariant degree theory for orthogonal maps developed by the author and \textit{A. Vignoli} [Topol. Methods Nonlinear Anal. 13, 105-146 (1999; Zbl 0941.58005)]. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0934.00032].