Lecture

Parametric Pendulum: Equations and Solutions

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Description

This lecture covers the analysis of a parametric pendulum, focusing on the Lagrange method, equations of motion, Mathieu equation, and Ince method to find solutions. It also discusses proper functions and dispersion relations of eigenfunctions.

In MOOC

Lagrangian Mechanics

Lagrange's formalism enables us to efficiently solve complex mechanical problems. It also provides a more fundamental insight into conservation laws (Noether's theorem). To illustrate Lagrange's method, we'll look at the all-important problem of coupled harmonic oscillators, expressed as a problem of eigenvalues and eigenvectors. We end with a formalism for analyzing parametric resonances, illustrated by an experiment showing the stability of a forced inverted pendulum.

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Related concepts (20)

Equations of motion

In physics, equations of motion are equations that describe the behavior of a physical system in terms of its motion as a function of time. More specifically, the equations of motion describe the behavior of a physical system as a set of mathematical functions in terms of dynamic variables. These variables are usually spatial coordinates and time, but may include momentum components. The most general choice are generalized coordinates which can be any convenient variables characteristic of the physical system.

Helmholtz equation

In mathematics, the Helmholtz equation is the eigenvalue problem for the Laplace operator. It corresponds to the linear partial differential equation where ∇2 is the Laplace operator, k2 is the eigenvalue, and f is the (eigen)function. When the equation is applied to waves, k is known as the wave number. The Helmholtz equation has a variety of applications in physics, including the wave equation and the diffusion equation, and it has uses in other sciences.

Wave equation

The (two-way) wave equation is a second-order linear partial differential equation for the description of waves or standing wave fields - as they occur in classical physics - such as mechanical waves (e.g. water waves, sound waves and seismic waves) or electromagnetic waves (including light waves). It arises in fields like acoustics, electromagnetism, and fluid dynamics. Single mechanical or electromagnetic waves propagating in a pre-defined direction can also be described with the first-order one-way wave equation, which is much easier to solve and also valid for inhomogeneous media.

Pendulum

A pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced sideways from its resting, equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that will accelerate it back toward the equilibrium position. When released, the restoring force acting on the pendulum's mass causes it to oscillate about the equilibrium position, swinging back and forth. The time for one complete cycle, a left swing and a right swing, is called the period.

Joseph-Louis Lagrange

Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi Lagrangia or Giuseppe Ludovico De la Grange Tournier; 25 January 1736 – 10 April 1813), also reported as Giuseppe Luigi Lagrange or Lagrangia, was an Italian mathematician, physicist and astronomer, later naturalized French. He made significant contributions to the fields of analysis, number theory, and both classical and celestial mechanics.

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