Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2023/ii/paper-1/32a/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 1 32A a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Dulac theorem states the following. Let be a simply connected region for the planar system , and suppose there is a continuously differentiable function for whichhas one strict sign throughout . Then there is no periodic orbit contained in .
To prove it, suppose a periodic orbit existed and let be its interior. Simple connectedness ensures . By the planar divergence theorem,The vector field is tangent to its trajectory , so its scalar product with the outward normal vanishes. The right-hand side is therefore zero. The left-hand side cannot be zero because its integrand has one strict sign, a contradiction.
The Poincare-Bendixson theorem states that if a forward trajectory of a smooth planar system remains in a compact set and its nonempty omega-limit set contains no equilibrium point, then that omega-limit set is a periodic orbit.
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