Equivariant Gradient Degree Comparison via Clarke Duality for Strongly Indefinite Hamiltonian Systems

Abstract

We study equivariant gradient degree comparisons for strongly indefinite Hamiltonian systems through Clarke duality. Under suitable convexity and compactness assumptions, we establish a correspondence between the primal and dual equations that preserves the symmetries of their solutions. We derive an identity relating their negative spectral representations and show that the Galerkin-normalized local index of the primal linearization coincides with the equivariant gradient degree determined by the dual Hessian. This comparison extends to infinite-dimensional settings through stabilized Galerkin approximations. We also establish relations between primal and dual crossing forms, equivariant spectral flow, and local equivariant gradient degrees at nondegenerate fixed solutions. The results provide a framework for studying equivariant bifurcation in strongly indefinite systems. As an application, we consider periodic Hamiltonian ring equations with dihedral symmetry and illustrate the computation of equivariant gradient degrees and bifurcation invariants.