Averaged amplitude for position-dependent damping ($A_T=-A⟨f(A\cos \psi ){\sin }^2\psi ⟩$)

For $x\prime \prime +ϵf(x)x\prime +x=0$, write $x_0=A(T)\cos (t+\theta )$ and $T=ϵt$. Removing secular terms gives $A_T=-A⟨f(A\cos \psi ){\sin }^2\psi ⟩$ and ${\theta }_T=0$, where the brackets mean a period average. This is the first-order solvability condition in the method of multiple scales, with a slowly evolving amplitude and no first-order frequency correction.

For $x^{\prime \prime }+\epsilon |x|x^{\prime }+x=0$ and unit initial amplitude, averaging uses $⟨|\cos \psi |{\sin }^2\psi ⟩=2/(3\pi )$. Thus $A_T=-2A^2/(3\pi )$ and the displayed algebraic envelope follows. The leading phase has no first-order drift. The dissipation is amplitude dependent, so an exponential envelope with a constant decay rate would give the wrong long-time scale.

For $x^{\prime \prime }+\epsilon (x^2-1)x^{\prime }+x=0$, the averaged amplitude for position-dependent damping has the displayed logistic-type equation. With $A(0)=1$, its positive solution is $A(T)=2/\sqrt{1+3e^{-T}}$. Small amplitudes grow and large ones decay toward the stable value two; the leading oscillation is $A(\epsilon t)\cos t$.

For $x^{\prime \prime }+ϵc(1-x^2)x^{\prime }+x=k$, use $T=ϵt$ and $x=k-r(T)\cos (t+\varphi (T))$. Removal of secular terms gives ${\varphi }_T=0$ and the displayed amplitude equation. With $R=r^2$, $R_T=c(k^2-1)R+(c/4)R^2$, which is explicitly integrable. If $c$ is replaced by a slowly varying coefficient $C(T)$, the same solution uses the accumulated time ${\int }_0^{T}C(s)ds$. The method of multiple scales is uniform on bounded slow-time intervals only while its amplitude and correction estimates remain bounded.

If $f$ is odd, its average $⟨f(A\cos \psi ){\sin }^2\psi ⟩$ vanishes under a half-period shift. Hence the averaged amplitude for position-dependent damping is constant at first order. Odd-power damping creates only even harmonics when multiplied by the leading oscillator velocity; these do not resonate with the fundamental harmonic. Higher-order drift is still possible.