Stability in simple heteroclinic networks in $\mathbb{R}^4$

Abstract

We describe all heteroclinic networks in $\mathbb{R}^4$ made of simple heteroclinic cycles of types $B$ or $C$, with at least one common connecting trajectory. For networks made of cycles of type $B$, we study the stability of the cycles that make up the network as well as the stability of the network. We show that even when none of the cycles has strong stability properties the network as a whole may be quite stable. We prove, and provide illustrative examples of, the fact that the stability of the network does not depend {\em a priori} uniquely on the stability of the individual cycles.