Connected Branches of Initial Points for Asymptotic BVPs, With Application to Heteroclinic and Homoclinic Solutions

Abstract We consider the second order nonlinear ODE uʺ – f(t, u) = 0 and assume that f(·, υ0) ≡ 0; for some υ0 ∈ ℝ. We prove the existence of closed connected sets Γ ⊆ ℝ2 of initial points such that for each (α, β) ∈ Γ there exists a solution u(·) of the given differential equation, with (u(t0), uʹ(t0)) = (α, β) and (u(t), uʹ(t)) → (υ0, 0) as t → –∞ (or as t → +∞). These results are then applied to the search of heteroclinic and homoclinic solutions