Asymptotic stability of pseudo-simple heteroclinic cycles in \(\mathbb R^4\) (Q525503)

The authors consider vector fields defined in \(\mathbb R^4\) which commute with the action of a group \(\Gamma\) of isometries of \(\mathbb R^4\): \[ \dot{x}=f (x),\text{ where }(\gamma x)=\gamma f(x)\text{ for all }\gamma \in \Gamma,\, \Gamma \subset O(4)\text{ is finite} \] and \(f\) is a smooth map in \(\mathbb R^4\). These kind of vector fields can possess robust heteroclinic cycles. The properties of these objects in the case of a vector field of \(\mathbb R^3\) has been already studied and a complete classification has been done. The dynamics in \(\mathbb R^4\) are more intricate. In an article [\textit{M. Krupa} and \textit{I. Melbourne}, Ergodic Theory Dyn. Syst. 15, No. 1, 121--147 (1995; Zbl 0818.58025)] a definition of simple robust heteroclinic cycle is provided. Let \(\Delta_j\) denote the isotropy subgroup of an equilibrium \(\xi_j\). The heteroclinic cycle is simple if {\parindent=0.7cm \begin{itemize}\item[(i)] the fixed-point subspace of \(\Delta_j\), denoted \(\mathrm{Fix}(\Delta_j)\), is an axis; \item[(ii)] for each \(j\) , \(\xi_j\) is a saddle and \(\xi_{j+1}\) is a sink in an invariant plane \(\mathrm{Fix}(\Sigma_j)\) (hence \(\Sigma_j \subset \Delta_j \cap \Delta_{j+1}\)); \item[(iii)] the isotypic decomposition for the action of \(\Delta_j\) in the tangent space at \(\xi_j\) only contains one-dimensional components. \end{itemize}} In the aforementioned article, condition (iii) is omitted in the definition, although it is implicitly assumed. The heteroclinic cycles satisfying (i) and (ii) but not (iii) are called pseudo-simple. The aim of the work is to investigate the dynamical properties of pseudo-simple heteroclinic cycles in \(\mathbb R^4\), such as stability and asymptotic stability. Some particular examples are analyzed.