Limit cycles of piecewise polynomial differential systems with the discontinuity line xy = 0

Abstract

<p style='text-indent:20px;'>In this paper we study the maximum number of limit cycles bifurcating from the periodic orbits of the center <inline-formula><tex-math id="M1">\begin{document}$ \dot x = -y((x^2+y^2)/2)^m, \dot y = x((x^2+y^2)/2)^m $\end{document}</tex-math></inline-formula> with <inline-formula><tex-math id="M2">\begin{document}$ m\ge0 $\end{document}</tex-math></inline-formula> under discontinuous piecewise polynomial (resp. polynomial Hamiltonian) perturbations of degree <inline-formula><tex-math id="M3">\begin{document}$ n $\end{document}</tex-math></inline-formula> with the discontinuity set <inline-formula><tex-math id="M4">\begin{document}$ \{(x, y)\in\mathbb{R}^2: xy = 0\} $\end{document}</tex-math></inline-formula>. Using the averaging theory up to any order <inline-formula><tex-math id="M5">\begin{document}$ N $\end{document}</tex-math></inline-formula>, we give upper bounds for the maximum number of limit cycles in the function of <inline-formula><tex-math id="M6">\begin{document}$ m, n, N $\end{document}</tex-math></inline-formula>. More importantly, employing the higher order averaging method we provide new lower bounds of the maximum number of limit cycles for several types of piecewise polynomial systems, which improve the results of the previous works. Besides, we explore the effect of 4-star-symmetry on the maximum number of limit cycles bifurcating from the unperturbed periodic orbits. Our result implies that 4-star-symmetry almost halves the maximum number.</p>