ASYMMETRIC PERIODIC MOTIONS WITH CHAOS IN A SOFTENING DUFFING OSCILLATOR.

In this paper, asymmetric periodic motions in a periodically forced, softening Duffing oscillator are presented analytically through the generalized harmonic balance method. For the softening Duffing oscillator, the symmetric periodic motions with jumping phenomena were understood very well. However, asymmetric periodic motions in the softening Duffing oscillators are not investigated analytically yet, and such asymmetric periodic motions possess much richer dynamics than the symmetric motions in the softening Duffing oscillator. For asymmetric motions, the bifurcation tree from asymmetric period-1 motions to chaos is discussed comprehensively. The corresponding, unstable and stable, asymmetric and symmetric, periodic motions in the softening Duffing oscillator are presented, and numerical illustrations of stable and unstable periodic motions are completed. This investigation provides a better picture of complex motion in the softening Duffing oscillator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]