Limit Cycles Appearing From Piecewise Smooth Perturbations to a Reversible Nonlinear Center

This paper deals with the limit cycle bifurcation from a reversible differential center of degree [Formula: see text] due to small piecewise smooth homogeneous polynomial perturbations. By using the averaging theory for discontinuous systems and the complex method based on the Argument Principle, we obtain lower and upper bounds for the maximum number of limit cycles bifurcating from the period annulus around the center of the unperturbed system.

Regularization of Planar Piecewise Smooth Systems with a Heteroclinic Loop

In this paper, we study bifurcations of the regularized systems of planar piecewise smooth systems, which have a visible fold-regular point and a sliding or grazing heteroclinic loop. Our results show that if the planar piecewise smooth system with a sliding heteroclinic loop undergoes sliding heteroclinic bifurcation, then the regularized system can bifurcate with a stable limit cycle passing through the regularized region and at most two limit cycles outside the regularized region. The regularized system can have at most three periodic orbits. When the upper subsystem is a Hamiltonian system, the regularized system can bifurcate with a semi-stable periodic orbit. Finally, we discuss two cases when the heteroclinic loop of a piecewise smooth system remains unbroken under a small perturbation. Our results show that the regularized system can bifurcate at most two limit cycles from an inner unstable grazing heteroclinic loop.

Sliding Bifurcation in Planar Piecewise Smooth Systems with Two Zones Separated by an Ellipse

The objective of this paper is to study the sliding bifurcation in a planar piecewise smooth system with an elliptic switching curve. Some new phenomena are observed, such as a crossing limit cycle containing four intersections with the switching curve, sliding cycles having four sliding segments, and sliding cycles consisting of the entire switching curve. Firstly, we investigate the bifurcation of sliding cycle from a sliding heteroclinic connection to two cusps and show the appearance of one sliding cycle with two folds. To plot the bifurcation diagram, a planar piecewise linear system with two zones separated by an ellipse are considered. Moreover, we study in more detail the unfolding of a sliding cycle connecting four cusps by exhibiting its complete bifurcation diagram. More precisely, we explore the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of limit cycles and derive the concrete bifurcation curves. Additionally, a simple piecewise smooth system with nonlinear subsystems is studied, which shows the possibility of the existence of two nested limit cycles. Finally, numerical simulations are given to confirm the theoretical analysis.

Limit Cycle Bifurcations in a Class of Piecewise Smooth Polynomial Systems

In this paper, we consider the bifurcation problem of limit cycles for a class of piecewise smooth cubic systems separated by the straight line [Formula: see text]. Using the first order Melnikov function, we prove that at least [Formula: see text] limit cycles can bifurcate from an isochronous cubic center at the origin under perturbations of piecewise polynomials of degree [Formula: see text]. Further, the maximum number of limit cycles bifurcating from the center of the unperturbed system is at least [Formula: see text] if the origin is the unique singular point under perturbations.