Multi-degenerate hill-top bifurcation of Fermi–Pasta–Ulam softening chains: Exact and asymptotic solutions

A one-dimensional nonlinear elastic chain, known as Fermi–Pasta–Ulam system, is analyzed in the static field. The chain is made of elements admitting a quartic potential, with softening nonlinear behavior. When the chain is subject to pure tension, it exhibits a multi-degenerate hill-top bifurcation, from which several softening branches bifurcate. On each path, the springs either behave softening or hardening, in all the possible combinations, making the response non-unique. Both exact and asymptotic solutions are pursued, and the multitude of the bifurcated paths is illustrated by bifurcation diagrams. A proof of their instability is given. The role of the imperfections is commented, either in modifying the equilibrium paths and in unfolding the degenerate bifurcation.