The shuddering pendulum (Q652277)

We partly quote from the abstract of this extensive paper on the rich mathematical structure of the nonlinear second order ODE \[ \ddot\theta+2\nu\dot\theta+\theta=f(t)\sin\theta. \tag{\(\ast\)} \] It describes the behavior of an elastically restrained simple pendulum subject to a downward force of magnitude \(f(t)\) applied to its bob with \(\dot f(t)>0\) for all times \(t>0\) and \(f(t)\to\infty\) as \(t\to\infty\). Here, \(\theta\) is the angle that the shaft of the pendulum makes with the upward vertical, and as usual superposed dots denote time derivatives. The rotation of the pendulum from its upward equilibrium state is opposed by an elastic torsional spring supplying a scaled torque \(\theta\) and by a viscous frictional torque \(-2\nu\dot\theta\) with the damping coefficient \(\nu\geq 0\). This problem is a one-degree-of-freedom analog of a dynamical version of the Euler buckling problem for an elastic column subject to a terminal thrust increasing with time. It is shown that the solutions of \((\ast)\) exhibit a wide range of behavior, some of it surprising, depending on the relative sizes of \(f(t)\) and \(e^{\nu t}\) as \(t\to\infty\). The unboundedness of the applied force and its appearance as the coefficient of \(\sin\theta\) (which is shown to approach \(0\) as \(t\to\infty\)) prevent standard theorems and techniques of the theory of ordinary differential equations, like those of Lyapunov, from being directly useful here. Nevertheless, detailed properties of solutions are determined by the analysis of limit processes for (i) versions of the energy equation, (ii) transformations of the equation of motion to equations having the classical pendulum equation as their asymptotically autonomous limit, and (iii) transformations of the equation of motion to nonlinear versions of equations with turning points, like the backward and forward Airy equations. It is proved that every motion for \((\ast)\) approaches a vertical state, so that there is an integer \(n\) such that \(\theta(t)\to n\pi\) as \(t\to\infty\), and that almost every motion is oscillatory and terminates in a downward configuration, so that there is an integer \(n\) such that \(\theta(t)\to (2n+1)\pi\) as \(t\to\infty\). But if the force dominates the damping in the sense that \(f(t)e^{-4t}\to\infty\) as \(t\to\infty\) (a fortiori, if there is no damping), then the velocities of these oscillatory motions are unbounded. On the other hand, provided \(f(t)e^{-4\nu t}\to 0\) as \(t\to\infty\), then \(\dot\theta(t)\to 0\). Also the rates are determined, at which these terminal configurations are reached. E.g., if \(\nu>0\), if \(f(t)=\text{const}\,t^\rho\), where \(\rho\) is a positive constant, and if \(\theta(t)\to(2n+1)\pi\) as \(t\to\infty\), then there is a positive constant \(C\) such that \[ |\theta-(2n+1)\pi|\leq Ct^{-\rho},\quad |\dot\theta|\leq Ct^{-\rho /2}. \] Finally, also those special motions that terminate in an upward configuration are characterized: \(\theta=2n\pi\), finding their decay rates. The sets of initial conditions for such motions lie on curves forming the boundaries of the basins of attraction for the downward configurations. The Euler buckling problem is usually treated by a quasistatic approximation in which the velocity and acceleration are reckoned to be negligible when the rate at which the thrust increases is small. The paper is concluded by studying the quasistatic approximation for this pendulum problem when \[ f(t)=g(\epsilon t),\quad\epsilon>0, \] where \(\epsilon\) is small. In this approximation, the pendulum moves through a family of equilibrium states parametrized by time, which are governed by the relation \(\theta=g(\epsilon t)\). (The justifications of such motions are rare in mechanics.) The detailed dynamical properties of solutions already obtained are exploided, to carry out a rigorous (and not entirely routine) asymptotic analysis valid for all time of the quasistatic approximation for \(\epsilon\) small when \(\nu>0\), giving conditions under which the approximation is valid, and giving easily computed asymptotic formulas for the solution. These results suggestively illuminate the dynamical implications of Euler buckling.