A generalized Poincaré-Hopf index formula and its applications to 2-D incompressible flows (Q5952942)

This article deals with the following formula \[ \sum^l_{i=1} \text{ind}(v,p_i)= \begin{cases} \chi(M)\quad &\text{when dim }M=\text{even},\\ 0\quad &\text{when dim } M=\text{odd}.\end{cases}\tag{1} \] Here \(M\) is a \(C^r\) \((r\geq 1)\) compact orientable manifold with boundary, \(v\in C^0_n(TM)\) a vector field with finite number of singular points \(p_i\in M\), \(\chi(M)\) the Euler characteristics of \(M\). The index of singular point \(p\) on the boundary of \(M\) is defined as the usual index of this point for a special extension of \(v\) on the doubling of the manifold \(M\); for this extension (1) turns out to be the classical Poincaré-Hopf formula. The direct consequence of (1) is the formula \[ C- S-{B\over 2}= 1-k, \] where \(C\) is the number of center of \(v\), \(S\) the number of interior saddles, and \(B\) the number of boundary saddles, \((1-k)\) the Euler characteristics of \(M\), for 2-D divergence-free vector fields on \(M\subseteq \mathbb{R}^2\) or \(M\subseteq \mathbb{S}^2\).