The concept of homogeneity, which picks out sprays from the general run of systems of second-order ordinary differential equations in the geometrical theory of such equations, is generalized so as to apply to equations of higher order. Certain properties of the geometric concomitants of a spray are shown to continue to hold for higher-order systems. Third-order equations play a special role, because a strong form of homogeneity may apply to them. The key example of a single third-order equation...

Recently the effect of a quiescent phase (or dormant/resting phase in applications) on the dynamics of a system of differential equations has been investigated, in particular with respect to stability properties of stationary points. It has been shown that there is a general phenomenon of stabilization against oscillations which can be cast in rigorous form. Here we investigate, for homogeneous systems, the effect of a quiescent phase, and more generally, a phase with slower dynamics. We show that...