Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematical-methods-i-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2017-resit/7/d/solution

Divide the external force by . Away from resonance a particular solution has the forcing frequency, so the general forced harmonic oscillator solution is
The two homogeneous terms cannot be discarded in an undamped system: they do not decay. If the same initial conditions are imposed, then , , where .
For , the forced displacement approaches : its amplitude decreases quadratically and it is in antiphase with the force. This statement concerns the forced component; a freely excited component at can remain.
At resonance the preceding denominator is zero and the appropriate solution is
Its amplitude grows linearly because the external force supplies energy coherently. For , , choose and . Physical damping or nonlinear response ultimately limits the ideal resonant growth.

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