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The Mathieu equation is the displayed linear differential equation with periodic coefficients. Floquet theory describes its bounded and exponentially growing solutions, while its periodic Mathieu characteristic values mark the edges of parametric resonance gaps. The forcing normalization matters: replacing $t$ by $t/2$ rescales both the constant and periodic coefficients.

Apply the method of multiple scales with independent fast time $t$ and slow time $T={ϵ}^{2}t$. A preliminary slow time $ϵt$ produces no resonant forcing at first order, so its leading amplitudes are constant; the first nontrivial modulation is at $T$. Write $x=x_0+ϵx_1+\cdots$, withAt order $ϵ$, the inhomogeneous linear differential equation is $({\partial }_t^2+1)x_1=-\cos t{x}_0$. Absorbing its homogeneous part into the amplitudes givesAt order ${ϵ}^2$, the forcing is $-2{\partial }_t{\partial }_T{x}_0-k{x}_0-\cos t{x}_1$. Its resonant Fourier series coefficients areThe solvability condition in the method of multiple scales sets both coefficients to zero, giving the amplitude equations. DefineFor bounded initial conditions $x(0)=x_{\ast }$, $\dot{x}(0)=v_{\ast }$, the requested leading approximation isThis holds on bounded intervals of $T$, hence $t=O({ϵ}^{-2})$, with the constant in the error allowed to depend on the bounded $T$ interval. If desired, retain the displayed $ϵx_1$ and adjust $A(0),B(0)$ by $O(ϵ)$ to match initial conditions at that order. No particular initial conditions were supplied.

Since $M^2=abI$, the matrix exponential is $I\cosh (\sigma T)+(M/\sigma )\sinh (\sigma T)$ when ${\sigma }^2=ab>0$. When $ab<0$, put $\omega =\sqrt{-ab}$ and replace this with $I\cos (\omega T)+(M/\omega )\sin (\omega T)$. At $ab=0$ it is $I+TM$. Thus the leading second instability tongue of a weak Mathieu oscillator has exponentially growing solutions for $-1/12<k<5/12$, and the leading modulation is bounded for every initial condition precisely whenAt either displayed endpoint, $M$ is a nonzero nilpotent operator; some initial conditions give a secular term proportional to $T$. This leading calculation alone must not be mistaken for an exact finite-$ϵ$ stability decision at the endpoints.

For an exact small-$ϵ$ interpretation, put $t=2s$. The standard Mathieu equation parameters are $a_{\mathrm{M}}=4+4k{ϵ}^2$ and $q=-2ϵ$. Its two relevant Mathieu characteristic values are obtained by projecting $-d^2/d{s}^2+2q\cos 2s$ onto even and odd Fourier series modes. Near the unperturbed value $4$, the even modes $1,\cos 2s,\cos 4s,\cos 6s$ have diagonal entries $0,4,16,36$ and adjacent couplings $\sqrt{2}q,q,q$ in an orthonormal basis; the odd modes $\sin 2s,\sin 4s,\sin 6s$ have diagonal entries $4,16,36$ and couplings $q,q$. Substituting $4+c_2{q}^2+c_4{q}^4$ into their characteristic polynomials givesHigher modes of the Fourier series first contribute at higher order. Therefore the fourth-order edges of the second Mathieu instability tongue areFloquet theory gives boundedness of every solution outside the closed gap, $k<k_{-}(ϵ)$ or $k>k_{+}(ϵ)$, in this fixed-$k=O(1)$ neighborhood. At the actual gap edges the second independent solution is generically unbounded. In particular, if $k$ is fixed exactly at $-1/12$ or $5/12$, it lies just outside the true gap and is stable for each sufficiently small positive $ϵ$. The strict boxed criterion is the robust leading-order, uniformly separated criterion; the endpoints require this higher-order refinement, and their amplification bounds need not remain uniform as $ϵ\to 0$.