Approximate General Solution Of The Two-Dimensional Duffing Dynamical System

Abstract

This paper presents the approximate general solution of the triple well, double oscillator non-linear dynamical system. This system is non-integrable and the approximate general solution is calculated by application of the Last Geometric Theorem of Poincare (Birkhoff, 1913, 1925). The original problem, known as the Duffing one, is a 1 degree of freedom system that, besides the conservative force component, includes dumping and external forcing terms (see details in the web site: http://www.uncwil.edu/people/hermanr/chaos/ted/chaos.html). The problem considered here is a 2 degree of freedom, autonomous and conservative one, without dumping, and of axisymmetric potential. The space of permissible motions is scanned for identification of all solutions re-entering after from one to nine oscillations and the precise families of periodic solutions are computed, including their stability parameter, covering all cases with periods T corresponding to 4osc/T. Seven sub-domains of the space of solutions were investigated in detail by zooming, an operation that proved the possibility to advance the accuracy of the approximate general solution to the level permitted by the integration routine. The approximation of the general solution, although impressive, provides clear evidence of the complexity of the problem and the need to proceed to larger period families. Nevertheless, it allows prediction of the areas where chaos and order regions in the Poincare surfaces of section are to be expected. Examples of such surfaces of sections, as well as of types of closed solutions, are given. Two peculiar points of the space of solutions were identified as crossing, or source points from which infinite families of periodic solutions emanate. The morphology and stability of solutions of the problem are studied and discussed.