Center and composition conditions for Abel differential equation, and rational curves (Q5947311)

The paper presents a study of the center problem for the trigonometric Abel equation \[ \rho '=p(\theta)\rho ^2+q(\theta)\rho ^3, \tag{1} \] where \(p(\theta)\), \(q(\theta)\) are polynomials in \(\sin\theta\), \(\cos\theta\). The center problem for equation (1) (which is closely related to the classical center problem for polynomial vector fields on the plane) is to find conditions on \(p\) and \(q\) under which all solutions \(\rho (\theta)\) to equation (1) are periodic, i.e. \(\rho (0)=\rho (2\pi)\) for all initial values \(\rho (0)\). Equation (1) is considered as an equation \[ \frac{dy}{dz}=p(z)y^2+q(z)y^3 \tag{2} \] on the complex \(z\)-plane with \(p\) and \(q\) being Laurent polynomials. The center condition for equation (1) is that the solution \(y(z)\) to equation (2) is an univalued function along the circle \(|z|=1\). The behavior of solutions to equation (2) is studied under mappings of the complex plane onto Riemann surfaces. This approach relates the center problem to the algebra of rational functions under composition and to the geometry of rational curves. The main result of the paper is the following sufficient condition on equation (1) to have a center: \[ \int _{0}^{2\pi}P^i(x)Q^j(x)p(x) dx=0 \] for all \(i,j\geq 0\), with \(P(x)=\int _{0}^{x}p(\theta) d\theta\), \(Q(x)=\int _{0}^{x}q(\theta) d\theta\).