Torus Bifurcation in the Hopf-Langford type system through Averaging Theory

Abstract

We study the existence of periodic solutions and invariant tori bifurcating from a zero-Hopf equilibrium in a Hopf-Langford type system. Using second-order averaging theory, we establish explicit parameter conditions under which the system admits a periodic solution near the origin, together with its stability. We then apply recent results relating invariant tori to Neimark-Sacker bifurcations of the associated Poincaré map to obtain a smooth bifurcation curve along which a unique invariant torus surrounds the periodic solution. The relevant first Lyapunov coefficient is computed explicitly as a power series in the perturbation parameter, and we show that, under the conditions considered, this coefficient is always positive; consequently, whenever it exists, the bifurcating torus is unstable, regardless of the specific parameter values chosen within our hypotheses. This provides a structural obstruction to the existence of asymptotically stable tori in this family of systems. We illustrate our results with two numerical examples, one exhibiting an isolated asymptotically stable periodic solution with no bifurcating torus, and another exhibiting a periodic solution surrounded by an unstable invariant torus, the latter also illustrated through its Poincaré map.