Limit cycle bifurcation from a zero-Hopf equilibrium for a class of 3-dimensional Kolmogorov systems

Abstract

A zero-Hopf equilibrium point p of a 3-dimensional autonomous differential system in R3 is an equilibrium point such that the eigenvalues of the linear part of the system at p are 0 and ±ωi with ω≠0. A zero-Hopf bifurcation takes place when from a zero-Hopf equilibrium bifurcate some small-amplitude limit cycles moving the parameters of the system.Polynomial Kolmogorov systems are the natural extension of the polynomial Lotka–Volterra systems of degree 2 to higher degree. The Kolmogorov systems have been studied intensively due to their applications for modeling many natural phenomena.In this paper we characterize, up to first order in the averaging theory, the eight distinct zero-Hopf bifurcations which can exhibit the class of 3-dimensional Kolmogorov systems of degree 3, providing an explicit approximation of the bifurcated small-amplitude limit cycles, together with information about their kind of stability.From each one of this eight different zero-Hopf bifurcations emerges one or two limit cycle using the averaging theory of first order. Moreover we provide an explicit example of each one of these eight zero-Hopf bifurcations.