Abstract:
The problem of the existence of an arc with at most countable (finite) number of bifurcations
connecting structurally stable systems (Morse – Smale systems) on manifolds was included in the
list of fifty Palis – Pugh problems at number 33.
In 1976 S. Newhouse, J.Palis, F.Takens introduced the concept of a stable arc connecting two
structurally stable systems on a manifold. Such an arc does not change its quality properties with
small changes. In the same year, S.Newhouse and M.Peixoto proved the existence of a simple arc
(containing only elementary bifurcations) between any two Morse – Smale flows. From the result
of the work of J. Fliteas it follows that the simple arc constructed by Newhouse and Peixoto can
always be replaced by a stable one. For Morse – Smale diffeomorphisms defined on manifolds of
any dimension, there are examples of systems that cannot be connected by a stable arc. In this
connection, the question naturally arises of finding an invariant that uniquely determines the
equivalence class of a Morse – Smale diffeomorphism with respect to the relation of connection
by a stable arc (a component of a stable isotopic connection).
In the article, the components of the stable isotopic connection of polar gradient-like diffeomorphisms
on a two-dimensional torus are found under the assumption that all non-wandering
points are fixed and have a positive orientation type.