The application of Liénard transformations to predator-prey systems (Q6193000)

The equation \(\ddot{x}+f(x)\dot{x}+g(x)=0\) is called Liénard equation and can be changed to the system of equations \[ \begin{cases} \dot{x}=-y-F(x),\\ \dot{y}=g(x) \end{cases}\tag{1} \] by a Liénard transformation. This equation is very important because there are many systems of equations that we can change to the type (1) by coordinate transformation in order to study the existence and uniqueness of limit cycles. The main goal of this paper is show this general procedure for predator-prey systems. In this paper the authors consider three specific predator-prey systems, two of which are Gause systems and one Leslie-Gower system and prove that at most one limit cycle exists using Liénard theorems. In two cases adjustments of the classical Zhang Zhifen theorem are applied, while the third case is solved by using a more powerful theorem, which is a generalization of Coppel's Theorem, see [\textit{Z. Zhang}, Appl. Anal. 23, 63--76 (1986; Zbl 0595.34033)] and [\textit{W. A. Coppel}, Dynamics reported 2, 61--88 (1989; Zbl 0674.34026)].