Nonlinear oscillator with discontinuity by generalized harmonic balance method

A generalized harmonic balance method is used to calculate the periodic solutions of a nonlinear oscillator with discontinuities for which the elastic force term is proportional to sgn(x). This method is a modification of the generalized harmonic balance method in which analytical approximate solutions have rational form. This approach gives us not only a truly periodic solution but also the frequency of the motion as a function of the amplitude of oscillation. We find that this method works very well for the whole range of amplitude of oscillation in the case of the antisymmetric, piecewise constant force oscillator and excellent agreement of the approximate frequencies with the exact one has been demonstrated and discussed. For the second-order approximation we have shown that the relative error in the analytical approximate frequency is 0.24%. We also compared the Fourier series expansions of the analytical approximate solution and the exact one. Comparison of the result obtained using this method with the exact ones reveals that this modified method is very effective and convenient. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.