Closed-Form Exact Solutions for the Unforced Quintic Nonlinear Oscillator

Abstract

Closed-form exact solutions for the periodic motion of the one-dimensional, undamped, quintic oscillator are derived from the first integral of the nonlinear differential equation which governs the behaviour of this oscillator. Two parameters characterize this oscillator: one is the coefficient of the linear term and the other is the coefficient of the quintic term. Not only the common case in which both coefficients are positive but also all possible combinations of positive and negative values of these coefficients which provide periodic motions are considered. The set of possible combinations of signs of these coefficients provides four different cases but only three different pairs of period-solution. The periods are given in terms of the complete elliptic integral of the first kind and the solutions involve Jacobi elliptic function. Some particular cases obtained varying the parameters that characterize this oscillator are presented and discussed. The behaviour of the periods as a function of the initial amplitude is analysed and the exact solutions for several values of the parameters involved are plotted. An interesting feature is that oscillatory motions around the equilibrium point that is not at x = 0 are also considered.