On the reconstitution problem in the multiple time-scale method

Higher-order multiple-scale methods for general multiparameter mechanical systems are studied. The role played by the control and imperfection parameters in deriving the perturbative equations is highlighted. The definition of the codimension of the problem, borrowed from the bifurcation theory, is extended to general systems, excited either externally or parametrically. The concept of a reduced dynamical system is then invoked. Different approaches followed in the literature to deal with reconstituted amplitude equations are discussed, both in the search for steady-state solutions and in the analysis of stability. Four classes of methods are considered, based on the consistency or inconsistency of the approach, and on the completeness or incompleteness of the terms retained in the analysis. The four methods are critically compared and general conclusions drawn. Finally, three examples are illustrated to corroborate the findings and to show the quantitative differences between the various approaches.