Pitchfork bifurcations of invariant manifolds (Q880136)

The aim of this paper is to generalize the well known pitchfork bifurcation of a fixed point to the pitchfork bifurcation of an invariant codimension one, compact submanifold of \(\mathbb{R}^m\). More precisely, one considers a codimension one, compact connected boundaryless submanifold, \(M\), of \(\mathbb{R}^m\), and a family of \(C^1\)-diffeomorphisms, \(F_\mu:U\subset \mathbb{R}^m\to\mathbb{R}^m\), where \(U\) is an open neighbourhood of \(M\), and \(\mu\) is a parameter such that \(| \mu| <a\), for some \(a>0\). The manifold \(M\) is \(F_\mu\)-invariant for every \(\mu\in (-a, a)\). One says that \(M\) undergoes a pitchfork bifurcation at \(\mu_0\in [0,a)\) if \(M\) is locally attracting (repelling) for \(\mu<0\), and locally repelling ( attracting) for \(\mu>\mu_0\), and moreover two locally attracting (repelling) \(F_\mu\)-invariant diffeomorphic copies of \(M\) are born in a small neighbourhood of \(M\), for \(\mu>\mu_0\). The authors give the conditions ensuring that such an invariant submanifold of a discrete dynamical system undergoes a pitchfork bifurcation. A canonical example of a discrete dynamical system satisfying the stated conditions is also given, and discussed in detail.