A 3D competitive Lotka-Volterra system with three limit cycles: a falsification of a conjecture by Hofbauer and So (Q812735)

In three-dimensional competitive Lotka-Volterra systems, contrary to the two-dimensional case, limit cycles may occur. So far, examples with two limit cycles have been found. Moreover, one example with a heteroclinic polycycle has been shown to possess even three limit cycles. In this paper, the authors construct an explicit three-dimensional competitive Lotka-Volterra system without a heteroclinic polycycle that also exhibits three limit cycles. The procedure of this construction is very artificial and technical.