Existence, uniqueness, and stability of periodic solutions of an equation of Duffing type

Abstract

We consider a second-order equation of Duffing type. Bounds for the derivative of the restoring force are given which ensure the existence and uniqueness of a periodic solution. Furthermore, the unique periodic solution is asymptotically stable with sharp rate of exponential decay. In particular, for a restoring term independent of the variable $t$, a necessary and sufficient condition is obtained which guarantees the existence and uniqueness of a periodic solution that is stable.

Key words and phrases: Periodic solution, topological degree, stability