A Degenerate Hopf Bifurcation Theorem in Infinite Dimensions

Abstract: A Hopf bifurcation theorem is established for the abstract evolution equation $\frac{\mathrm{d}x}{\mathrm{d}t}=F(x,\lambda)$ in infinite dimensions under the degeneracy condition $Re \mu ^{\prime}(\lambda_0)= 0$ and suitable assumptions. The stability properties of bifurcating periodic solutions are also derived. Interestingly, it is shown that a transcritical Hopf bifurcation still can occur at $\lambda_0$ although the stability property of the trivial solutions does not change near $\lambda_0$. Our results do not require the analyticity of $F$. The main tools are the Lyapunov--Schmidt reduction and a Morse lemma. Applications to a multi-parameter diffusive predator--prey system discover new branches of periodic solutions.