A global isochronous center is linear

Abstract

Let $X$ be a polynomial vector field in $\mathbb{R}^2$ which, after one-point compactification of the plane, has a punctured neighbourhood $\dot U$ of the point at infinity which is foliated by closed orbits of $X$. If the period function of $X$ in $\dot U$ is bounded from below by a positive constant, $X$ is necessarily linear, hence conjugated, up to a nonzero constant factor, to $-y \frac{\partial}{\partial x} + x \frac{\partial}{\partial y}$. This result answers to a question posed by J. Llibre , proving e.g. that a global isochronous center is linear.