Generic diffeomorphisms on compact surfaces
We discuss the remaining obstacles to prove Smale's conjecture about the C¹-density of hyperbolicity among surface diffeomorphisms. Using a C¹-generic approach, we classify the possible pathologies that may obstruct the C¹-density of hyperbolicity. We show that there are essentially two types of obstruction: (i) persistence of infinitely many hyperbolic homoclinic classes and (ii) existence of a single homoclinic class which robustly exhibits homoclinic tangencies. In the course of our discussion,...