Detecting Limit Tori in Non-Smooth Systems: An Analytic Approach with Applications to 3D Piecewise Linear Systems

Abstract

This work investigates a class of non-autonomous $T$-periodic piecewise smooth differential systems and their associated time-$T$ maps. Our main result provides an analytical approach for detecting, within this class of piecewise differential systems, isolated invariant tori associated with normally hyperbolic invariant closed curves of the time-$T$ map. To achieve this, we derive sufficient conditions under which smooth near-identity maps undergo a Neimark--Sacker bifurcation. As an application of our main result, we present a family of 3D piecewise linear differential systems exhibiting attracting and repelling isolated invariant tori which, moreover, persist under small perturbations. To the best of our knowledge, this family provides the first examples in which limit tori are analytically detected in piecewise linear systems.