A pendulum with an elliptic-type parametric excitation: Stability charts for a damped and undamped system

In this paper, a pendulum parametrically excited by the excitation which has the form of the Jacobi cn elliptic function is considered. Three cases related to the value of the elliptic parameter are distinguished: the case when it is smaller than zero, when it ranges between zero and unity, and when it is higher than unity. First, interpretations of the excitation with such elliptic parameter are given in terms of its period, higher harmonic content and the amplitude. These interpretations enable one to consider the elliptic-type excitation as a type of multi-cosine excitation whose frequency and amplitude are related mutually in a particular way. Stability charts are determined for damped and undamped systems. When the elliptic parameter is equal to zero, the governing equations considered transform to the well-known Mathieu equation. In all other cases, the governing equations considered can be seen as a new generalisation of the Mathieu equation. The influence of an arbitrary real elliptic parameter on the location and shape of the transition curves and instability tongues is investigated, illustrated and discussed in all three cases, which represent new and so far unknown results.