Linearized Homotopy Perturbation Method for Two Nonlinear Problems of Duffing Equations

In the paper, we solve two nonlinear problems related to the Duffing equations in space and in time. The first problem is the bifurcation of Duffing equation in space, wherein a critical value of the parameter initiates the bifurcation from a trivial solution to a non-trivial solution. The second problem is an unconventional periodic problem of Duffing equation in time to determine period and periodic solution. To save computational cost and even enhance the accuracy in seeking higher order analytic solutions of these two problems, a modified homotopy perturbation method is invoked after a linearization technique being exerted on the Duffing equation, whose nonlinear cubic term is decomposed at two sides via a weight factor, such that the Duffing equation is linearized as the Mathieu type differential equation. The constant preceding the displacement is expanded in powers of homotopy parameter and the coefficients are determined to avoid secular solutions appeared in the derived sequence of linear differential equations. Consequently, after setting the homotopy parameter equal to unity and solving the amplitude equation, the higher order bifurcated solutions can be derived explicitly. For the second problem, we can determine the period and periodic solution in closed-form, which are very accurate. For the sake of comparison the results obtained from the fourth-order Runge-Kutta numerical method are used to evaluate the presented analytic solutions.