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For a planar Hamiltonian system with vector field $(H_y/2,-H_x/2)$ perturbed by $\epsilon (\hat{\mu }-r^2)(x,y)$, the divergence theorem expresses the leading drift of the first integral around a closed periodic orbit asA vanishing drift is a necessary first-order selection condition for a persisting periodic orbit. A simple zero with outward drift on its inner side and inward drift on its outer side yields an attracting limit cycle. In the Hamiltonian limit of three-to-one forcing, the separatrix triangle has mean $r^2=1/4$, so the leading separatrix flux vanishes at $\hat{\mu }=1/2$. A homoclinic or heteroclinic transition still requires the separatrix splitting and higher-order corrections to be controlled.

A multiplier $B(x,y)$ whose rescaled planar vector field has divergence of one strict sign can exclude periodic orbits in a simply connected region. For a system $\dot{x}=xF$, $\dot{y}=yG$ in the positive quadrant, $B=1/(xy)$ is often effective.

For a weak perturbation of a planar Hamiltonian system, integrate the first-order change of the unperturbed Hamiltonian around each unperturbed periodic orbit. Zeros of this averaged energy drift select candidate perturbed periodic orbits, and a change from positive to negative drift indicates stability.

For small positive forcing-frame frequency $\omega$, use $\mu =\hat{\mu }{\omega }^2$, $C=\omega z$ and $\tau =\omega T$ in the three-to-one spatially forced amplitude equation. The leading system is $z_{\tau }+iz={\overline{z}}^2$. Writing $z=x+iy$ gives the Hamiltonian system $(x_{\tau },y_{\tau })=(H_y/2,-H_x/2)$ and the displayed first integral. The origin is a center equilibrium; three saddle equilibria at $(0,1)$ and $(\pm \sqrt{3}/2,-1/2)$ lie on $H=1/3$. The factorization $H-1/3=(1+2y)[x^2-(y-1{)}^2/3]$ reveals a triangular heteroclinic cycle, containing closed periodic orbits for every $0<H<1/3$.

For two uncoupled harmonic oscillators with nonzero amplitudes and irrational frequency ratio ${\omega }_1/{\omega }_2$, the orbit is bounded but not periodic. It winds quasiperiodically on a two-dimensional invariant torus; a common period would force the frequency ratio to be rational.

A planar periodic orbit, oriented by the flow, has Poincare index $+1$. The index theorem equates this with the sum of the indices of the isolated equilibria enclosed by the orbit. A hyperbolic equilibrium has index $+1$ when its Jacobian matrix has positive determinant and index $-1$ when it is a saddle equilibrium.

A limit cycle is an isolated periodic orbit of a dynamical system. It is attracting if nearby orbits approach it in forward time. A continuous family of closed orbits around a center equilibrium does not consist of limit cycles, because its members are not isolated.

If $\dot{\Phi }=A(t)\Phi$ and $\Phi (0)=I$, differentiation of the determinant gives $\det \Phi (t)=\exp ({\int }_0^t\mathrm{tr}A(s)ds)$. For a planar periodic orbit this gives the nontrivial Floquet multiplier, since the tangent multiplier is one.

For the normalized equations $\dot{x}=x(1-y)$ and $\dot{y}=ry(x-1)$ on the positive quadrant,is a first integral. It is nonnegative, strictly convex, and tends to infinity at the boundary and at infinity. Every positive regular level is therefore a compact simple closed curve traversed by one periodic orbit.

If one coordinate of every nonstationary trajectory is strictly monotone, the system has no periodic orbit: a periodic coordinate must return to its initial value. Any trajectory on which that coordinate is constant must be checked separately.