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Introduce $\omega =\dot{\theta }$. The pendulum with quadratic damping is the autonomous planar systemIts equilibrium points are $(k\pi ,0)$. Since the derivative of $\omega |\omega |$ is zero at zero, the linearization of a dynamical system at each equilibrium point isAt an odd multiple of $\pi$ its eigenvalues are $\pm 1$, so it is a saddle equilibrium; the stable and unstable tangents are $\omega =-(\theta -k\pi )$ and $\omega =\theta -k\pi$. At an even multiple the eigenvalues are $\pm i$. This linearization is a centre and does not decide the nonlinear stability. In particular it would be incorrect to infer a linear damped focus from this Jacobian.

For the full system the mechanical energy is a Lyapunov function near an even equilibrium point:A sufficiently small sublevel set is compact and contains only that equilibrium point. The only invariant motion with $\dot{H}=0$ has $\omega =0$ and $\sin \theta =0$, hence is the equilibrium point itself. The LaSalle invariance principle proves asymptotic stability. Near it the trajectories turn clockwise and spiral inward, as the near-linear angular motion persists while energy decreases. Thus even equilibria are nonhyperbolic asymptotically stable spiral points; odd equilibria remain saddles.

For explicit trajectories put $W={\omega }^2$ on a branch where $\omega \ne 0$. The chain rule gives $dW/d\theta =2\dot{\omega }$, so the two signs yield the first-order linear differential equations $W^{\prime }+2cW=-2\sin \theta$ for $\omega >0$, and $W^{\prime }-2cW=-2\sin \theta$ for $\omega <0$. Their integrating factors giveOnly portions with a nonnegative right-hand side are physical. At a turning point the constants of the two branches are matched using $\omega =0$; neither expression is one global trajectory through both signs. When $c=0$ they reduce to energy contours, with closed orbits around the even equilibrium points. For every $c>0$, the quadratic damping destroys those closed orbits and makes the centres attracting spirals. Its effect is higher order in amplitude, so decay is weaker near rest than with linear damping. The saddle equilibria remain unstable, though their separatrices change shape.

The phase plane is the two-dimensional state space of an autonomous planar system. Its oriented trajectories, equilibria, nullclines, and invariant sets display the system's qualitative dynamics.