Geometric singular perturbations for multiple turning points: invariant manifolds and exchange lemmas (Q852027)

The author considers the autonomous singularly perturbed system \[ {dx\over dt}= F(x,y,\varepsilon)x,\qquad {dy\over dt}= \varepsilon h(x,y,\varepsilon), \] where \(x\in\mathbb{R}^m\), \(y\in\mathbb{R}^n\), \(F\) and \(g\) are smooth in their arguments, and \(\varepsilon\) is a small real parameter. Concerning the eigenvalues \(\lambda_1(y),\dots, \lambda_m(y)\) of the \(m\times m\)-matrix \(F(0,y,0)\) it is assumed that there is a natural number \(\ell\), \(0<\ell< m\), such that \[ \text{Re\,}\lambda_i(y)< 0\text{ for }1\leq i<\ell,\quad \text{Re\,}\lambda_j(y)> 0\text{ for }\ell+ 1< j\leq m. \] The remaining two eigenvalues \(\lambda_\ell(y)\) and \(\lambda_{\ell+1}(y)\) may change sign or reach zero for \(\| y\|\leq 1\). The points \(\widetilde y\) where \(\lambda_\ell(y)\) or \(\lambda_{\ell+1}(y)\) vanishes are called turning points. The author derives conditions under which the center manifold belonging to \(\lambda_\ell\) and \(\lambda_{\ell+1}\) has two invariant submanifolds. On these manifolds the phenomenon of delayed loss of stability (existence of cancard solutions) occurs. To give a rather complete description on how an invariant manifold \(M_\varepsilon\) evolves as it enters and passes a neighborhood of the slow manifold \(x= 0\) in the presence of turning points, the author proves several exchange lemmas related to the transversal intersection of \(M_0\) with the stable (unstable) and centerstable (centerunstable) manifold of the slow manifold. This is an essential contribution to the geometric singular perturbation theory.