Topological Classification of Limit Cycles of Piecewise Smooth Dynamical Systems and Its Associated Non-Standard Bifurcations

In this paper, we propose a novel strategy for the synthesis and the classification of nonsmooth limit cycles and its bifurcations (named Non-Standard Bifurcations or Discontinuity Induced Bifurcations or DIBs) in n-dimensional piecewise-smooth dynamical systems, particularly Continuous PWS and Discontinuous PWS (or Filippov-type PWS) systems. The proposed qualitative approach explicitly includes two main aspects: multiple discontinuity boundaries (DBs) in the phase space and multiple intersections between DBs (or corner manifolds—CMs). Previous classifications of DIBs of limit cycles have been restricted to generic cases with a single DB or a single CM. We use the definition of piecewise topological equivalence in order to synthesize all possibilities of nonsmooth limit cycles. Families, groups and subgroups of cycles are defined depending on smoothness zones and discontinuity boundaries (DB) involved. The synthesized cycles are used to define bifurcation patterns when the system is perturbed with parametric changes. Four families of DIBs of limit cycles are defined depending on the properties of the cycles involved. Well-known and novel bifurcations can be classified using this approach.