Questions tagged [classical-mechanics]
Mathematics of classical mechanics, including Hamiltonian mechanics, Lagrangian mechanics, applications of symplectic geometry to mechanics, deterministic chaos, resonance etc.
191 questions
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Find a maximizing solution to an ODE which depends on a paramater function
(For the physical meaning of this problem see https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/122818/how-should-i-throttle-my-rocket-to-reach-highest-altitude).
Given $g \in (0,\infty), k \in C^1( [0, \...
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Is there any connection between Lagrange points and the icosahedron?
Given the Newtonian two-body problem, one can ask if there are any orbits that allow a test particle to maintain a fixed configuration relative to the two bodies. In other words, in a frame that ...
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Relation between Lee and Yang' s "circle theorem", zeta functions and Weil conjectures?
Ruelle mentions ( http://www.ihes.fr/~ruelle/PUBLICATIONS/%5B94%5D.pdf ) Lee and Yang' s "circle theorem", which comes from statistical mechanics and shall have not yet explored connections with zeta ...
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Weinstein's local classification of Lagrangian foliations
In the paper "Symplectic manifolds and their Lagrangian submanifolds", Weinstein showed that locally all the Lagrangian foliations are symplectomorhic to the fiber foliation of a cotangent bundle.
I ...
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Functions approximated by rolling epicycle curves
Imagine a decreasing sequence of (positive) radii $r_1 > r_2 > r_3 > \cdots$
and a series of nested circles $C_1 \supset C_2 \supset C_3 \supset \cdots$
with these radii,
initially each ...
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underdamped oscillation with quadratic decay
I know that for a 2nd order linear differential equation system, there are 3 possible scenarios: over-damped, critically damped and underdamped. For the underdamped case the solutions are of the form:
...
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How to deal with the singular reduction of the Hamiltonian n body problem?
I would like to consider the reduced Hamiltonian $n$ body problem, but am struggling with the angular momentum reduction seeing as the $SO(3)$ action is not free and the reduction is singular.
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Surfaces that are 'everywhere accessible' to a randomly positioned Newtonian particle with an arbitrary velocity vector
Consider an idealized classical particle confined to a two-dimensional surface that is frictionless. The particle's initial position on the surface is randomly selected, a nonzero velocity vector is ...
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Dynamics of pairwise distances in the $n$-body problem
Disclaimer: I have asked this question on Physics SE a week ago, but got no answers. I know that some MO users are interested in the $n$-body problem, so I decided to cross post here as well.
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Calculating the geodesic equation for a particular set of phase-space coordinates
Let $g$ be a Riemannian metric on the $d$-dimensional flat space $\mathbb R^d$, and consider the usual Lagrangian $$L(x, \dot x) = \tfrac 1 2 g_{ij}(x) \dot x^i \dot x^j.$$ Let $\hat g := \sqrt g$ ...
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From Boundary to righthandside
I have a problem coming from linear elasticity in $(x,y,z)\in\mathbb{R}^2\times \mathbb{R}^+$, $t\in \mathbb R$:
$$\left\{\begin{aligned}\partial_{tt} \sigma&=A(D_x,D_y,D_z) \sigma\\
\sigma\big|...
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higher order Noether identities
Noether's second variational theorem gives a correspondence between symmetries of a Lagrangian and Noether identities, which are relations among the Euler–Lagrange equations.
How about relations ...
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Negative Definiteness of Hopf-Lax-Oleinik Semigroup
Denote by $H_{t}$ the Hopf-Lax semigroup, i.e.\begin{equation}
H_{t}f(x)=\inf_{y\in\mathbb{R}}\left\lbrace f(y)+\frac{(x-y)^{2}}{2t}\right\rbrace.\end{equation} Is $H_{t}$ negative definite on bounded,...
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Herpolhode equation
Poinsot’s construction describes the motion of a freely rotating rigid body in terms of an ellipsoid rolling on a plane. (http://www.phys.ttu.edu/~huang24/Teaching/Phys5306/CH5C.pdf), and the path of ...
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Kinematics of rolling knots
It is well known that there are trefoil knots without tritangent planes, and with 3d printers one can print these beautiful objects and make them roll on planes.
(An example:https://www.youtube.com/...
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Dynamics of electrons on a sphere
Suppose one place $n$ electrons closely surrounding the north pole of a sphere, forming
a perfect planar regular $n$-gon:
Q1.
What will happen if the electrons ...
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Classical analogue of the Stone-von Neumann Theorem?
Let $U_s$, $V_t$ be a pair of continuous $n$-parameter groups ($n < \infty$) of unitary operators on a complex Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$. The Stone-von Neumann Theorem establishes that any such ...
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Do there exist small neighborhoods in a classical mechanical system without pairs of focal points?
The question I will ask makes sense in much more generality, but I will leave the translation to the experts, since I'm only looking for a special case (and it would not surprise me if the answer does ...
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Elastostatics and homotopy type
In perfect elastostatics, the unknown is the displacement $x\mapsto y$, where $x\in\Omega\subset{\mathbb R}^3$ is the reference configuration, and $y\in{\mathbb R}^3$. It obeys to an 2nd-order PDEs. ...
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Generating functions and Lagrangian submanifolds
I'm interested in showing the existence of a generating function. Explicitly:
Suppose $\Lambda\subset T^*M\times T^*M$ is a Lagrangian submanifold. Consider the projection $\pi:(x_1,\xi_1,x_2,\xi_2)...
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Two interacting bodies in an external field
Hope, MO is the right place for this question (if not so: where would you pose it?).
Consider a two-body system in classical mechanics. As long as the interaction depends only on the distance of the ...
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In search for a more geometric proof of a result of van der Schaft and Maschke on nonholonomic mechanics
Edit: Now I have found something that appears to answer my own question. It is section 2 in the paper "On Submanifolds and Quotients of Poisson and Jacobi Manifolds" by Ch.-M. Marle. (There, he ...
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Periodic orbits of a spinning ball in a square
Periodic orbits of a billiard ball bouncing in a square have been well-studied.
I am seeking similar analysis of what is sometimes called a rough ball, one
whose high friction causes it to pick up ...
- 151k
3
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135
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Motivation for the existence of periodic solutions [closed]
I have been reading the book Critical Point Theory and Hamiltonian System by Mawhin and Willem, as well as several other papers on the existence of periodic solutions for equations of the form
$$\ddot{...
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Nature of separatrix in Fokker--Planck Hamiltonian with two degrees of freedom
Background The semiclassical (weak noise, small $D$) limit of the Fokker--Planck equation
$$\frac{\partial P}{\partial t}=D\frac{\partial^2 P}{\partial x^2}-\frac{\partial}{\partial x}(v(x) P)$$
can ...
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114
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Shortest rope to capture a sphere of diameter 1 [duplicate]
I have a perfect rigid sphere of diameter 1.
I have infinite supply of rope. The rope is infinitely flexible and can be cut or glued without losing or adding length. The rope can be glued at any ...
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Rolling a convex body: Geodesics vs. rolling curves
What are the curves of contact on a convex body $B$ rolling down an inclined plane?
Assume $B$ is smooth, and there is sufficient friction to prevent slippage.
Certainly, one can develop a geodesic ...
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A taut string of equilateral triangles
Let $T$ be a unit edge-length equilateral triangle composed of three cylinders each
of (small) radius $r>0$. (By "small" I mean approximately $< 0.1$.)
Think of $T$ as a physical, rigid triangle,...
- 151k
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559
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Find a second integral for Arnold's example
Consider Arnold's example for Arnold diffusion 1964.
$$H=I_1^2/2+I_2^2/2+\epsilon(1-\cos\theta_2)(1+\mu(\sin\theta_1+\sin t)) $$
We can first make it a system of three degrees of freedom.
Then we ...
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Minimizing action squared versus action
I have a very basic question in the calculus of variations:
Suppose I want to minimize the functional
$$A[r, r'] = \int_\Omega L(r, r') dx $$
When is it possible to say that extremals of $A$ agree ...
user7807
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The isotropy group for the Euler-Lagrange vector-fields
Let $Q$ be a manifold, and let $X_{EL}$ be a second order vector-field on $TQ$ derived from the Euler-Lagrange equation,
$$ \frac{d}{dt} \left( \frac{\partial L}{\partial \dot{q} } \right) - \frac{ \...
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How to find solutions of non-linear ODE with particular BCs
What are some methods, numerical or otherwise, of finding solutions to nonlinear ODEs that satisfy particular boundary conditions? In particular, I'm looking for curves y(s) constrained to a ...
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What are the canonical and earliest references to trivial symmetries in gauge systems?
I am trying to find canonical references and the history of trivial symmetries.
The earliest text book reference I can find is on page 69 of Quantization of Gauge Systems by Henneaux and Teitelboim.
...
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Generalization of the non-existence of a monostatic planar body
Domokos, Papadopulos, and Ruina showed that there does not exist a convex planar rigid body of uniform density which has only
one orientation of stable equilibrium and one orientation of unstable ...
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885
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How to calculate the rolling resistance of a wheel over an obstacle? [closed]
Imagine a bicycle travelling at speed, and then rolling over a log. What are the principles behind calculating the force that is required to roll a wheel over an obstacle?
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Dissipative Hamiltonian System with a Periodic Force
Let $H:P \to \mathbb{R}$ be a Hamiltonian on a symplectic manifold $(\omega,P)$ and let $X_H: P \to TP$ be the Hamiltonian vector-field. Let $F:P \to T^*P$ be a dissipative force field such that for $...
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450
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Differential equation of line tangent to caustics
This problem (or rather, statement that I cannot understand) has arisen in a paper I have been reading "Geometry of Integrable Billiards and Pencils of Quadrics" by Dragovic and Radnovic. I'd be most ...
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Transformation of the dynamics of mechanical system under coordinate change
It is well known that the dynamics equation for a mechanical system (e.g. a robotics manipulator) is given be the Euler-Lagrange equation which takes the particular form (in the simplified version),
$...
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What happens when Appell-Chetaev's rule for constrained mechanical systems is not applicable?
Background:
Let be given a mechanical system whose configuration space is a manifold $Q$, and the kinetic energy is a metric $K$ on $Q$, in presence of a potential function $V$.
Let us identify the ...
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Billiards with incompatible regions
An existing question asks whether "almost every" two-dimensional billiard possesses at least one orbit that is dense in its interior. My question is about the following set of strong counter-examples:...
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Some details about Kirillov-Kostant Poisson bracket
Let $G$ be a finite dimensional Lie group with Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$. The Kirillov-Kostant Poisson bracket on $\mathfrak{g}^*$ is defined as $$\{\cdot ,\cdot \} :C^{\infty}(\mathfrak{g}^*)\times ...
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