Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2001/ia/paper-2/7b/solution

Write , where has . One eigenpair is
Because is real, conjugating gives . The eigenvector matrix has determinant , so the eigenvectors form a basis. Reality of then forces conjugate coefficients, giving .
Set . The forcing has the same basis decomposition,
Equating the coefficient of in the linear system of differential equations yields
For , an integrating factor gives . The zero initial vector means , so
Taking the real vector combination gives
Exact secular resonance occurs at : the forcing frequency matches the undamped homogeneous mode. For positive , damping prevents secular growth, and the late-time periodic amplitude is proportional to . Thus there is a resonant small-damping limit, but no unbounded resonant response at fixed .
Since for each fixed , the requested limit gives
Equivalently at zero damping; its linear prefactor displays the resonance explicitly.

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