
 MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, CLASSICAL MODELS 
 
530 
in case of small oscillations, we obtain the equation 
()
20
() ()
lt
g
lt lt
θθθ++=
 
. 
(8.2.82') 
2.2.13 Non-linear oscillations 
We say that a mechanical system represents a non-linear oscillatory system if, in the 
differential equation of motion, one or several characteristic parameters (mass, elastic 
coefficient, frequency etc.) depend on the displacement 
x . In general, the differential 
equation of these oscillations is of the form 
(,;) 0xfxxt
=  , 
(8.2.83) 
resulting from Newton’s equation (which puts in evidence the linkage between the 
elastic force and the displacement) or, in particular, of the form 
(,) 0xfxx
=  , 
(8.2.83') 
Figure 8.50.  Non-linear vibrations determined by the equation  () 0xfx
=
; diagrams  
()fx  vs 
x
 for 
0x >
: case  () 0fx
′
 (a); case  () 0fx
′
>  (b).
 
as the non-linear vibration is non-autonomous or autonomous, respectively. If the non-
linear term depends only on 
x , then the function  ()
x  which intervenes is called arc 
characteristic; the most times, in practice, the graphic of the function 
()
x  is 
symmetric with respect to the origin (
()
x  is an odd function, that is  ()
x−  
()
x=− ). If the graphic of the function  ()
x  has the concavity towards down in the 
vicinity of the origin for 
0x > , hence if  () 0
x
′
 (Fig.8.50,a), then the arc 
characteristic is weak, while if, in the same vicinity, the graphic of the function 
()
x  
has the concavity towards up for 
0x > , hence if  () 0
x
′
>
 (Fig.8.50,b), then the arc 
characteristic is strong. 
In case of great oscillations of the simple pendulum, the non-linear character of the 
phenomenon is put into evidence in the equation (7.1.38'). Developing 
sin θ  into a 
power series, we obtain, in a first approximation, the linear differential equation 
(7.1.45). In a second approximation (non-linear approximation, in which we take two 
terms in the series development), we may write