Classical Dynamics: Example Sheet 1

Dr David Tong, October 2005

1. Consider a system with n dynamical degrees of freedom q
a
, a = 1, . . . , n. The
most general form for a purely kinetic Lagrangian is
L =
1
2
g
ab
(q
c
) q
a
q
b
(1)
where we use the summation convention in which all repeated indices are summed
over. The functions g
ab
= g
ba
depend on all the generalised coordinates. Assume that
det(g
ab
) = 0 so that the inverse matrix g
ab
exists (g
ab
g
bc
=
a
c
). Show that Lagranges
equations for this system are given by,
q
a
+
a
bc
q
b
q
c
= 0 (2)
where

a
bc
=
1
2
g
ad

g
bd
q
c
+
g
cd
q
b

g
bc
q
d

(3)
Side Remark: The functions g
ab
dene a metric on the conguration space, and the
equations (2) are known as the geodesic equations. They appear naturally in general
relativity where they describe a particle moving in curved spacetime. Lagrangians of
the form (1) also appear in many other areas of physics, including the study of solids,
the theory of nuclear forces and string theory. In these contexts, the systems are re-
ferred to as sigma models.
2. A particle moves in one-dimension with position x and potential V (x), governed by
the Lagrangian,
L =
1
12
m
2
x
4
+ m x
2
V V
2
(4)
Show that the resulting equation of motion is identical to that arising from the more
traditional L =
1
2
m x
2
V .
3. The Lagrangian for a relativistic point particle of mass m is,
L = mc
2

1 ( r r)/c
2
V (r) (5)
where c is the speed of light. Derive the equation of motion. Show that it reduces to
Newtons equation in the limit | r| c.
1
4. A double pendulum is drawn below. Two light rods of lengths l
1
and l
2
oscil-
late in the same plane. Attached to them are masses m
1
and m
2
. How many degrees of
freedom does the system have? Write down the Lagrangian describing its dynamics.

m
l
l
m
2
2
1
1
1
2
5. The pivot of a simple pendulum is attached to a disc of radius R, which rotates in
the plane of the pendulum with angular velocity . (See the diagram below). Write
down the Lagrangian and derive the equations of motion for dynamical variable .

m
l
R

6. The motion of an electron of mass m and charge (e) moving in a magnetic

eld B = A(r) is described by the Lagrangian
L =
1
2
m r r e r A(r) (6)
Show that Lagranges equation reproduces the Lorentz force law on the electron.
i) Work in cylindrical polar coordinates (r, , z) and consider the vector potential
A = (0, f(r)/r, 0) (7)
2
At some initial time the electron is a distance r
0
from the z-axis and has velocity in
the (r, z)-plane. Show that its angular velocity about the z-axis is given by,

=
e
mr
2
[f(r) f(r
0
)] (8)
ii) Again working in cylindrical polar coordinates, consider the vector potential
A = (0, rg(z), 0) (9)
where g(z) > 0. Obtain two constants of motion. Show that if the electron is pro-
jected from a point (r
0
,
0
, z
0
) with velocity r = z = 0 and

= 2eg(z
0
)/m, then it will
describe a circular orbit provided that g

(z
0
) = 0. Show that these orbits are stable to
shifts along the z axis if tg

> 0.
7. A particle of mass m
1
is restricted to move on a circle of radius R
1
in the plane
z = 0, with center at (x, y) = (0, 0). A second particle of mass m
2
is restricted to
move on a circle of radius R
2
in the plane z = c with center at (x, y) = (0, a). The two
particles are connected by a spring resulting in the potential
V =
1
2

2
d
2
where d is the distance between the particles. Identify the two generalised coordinates
and write down the Lagrangian of the system. Show that when the circles lie directly
beneath each other, a = 0, then there is an extra conserved quantity.
8. Two particles of mass m are connected by a light rope of length l. One parti-
cle sits on a smooth horizontal table at a distance r from a hole through which the
rope is threaded. The second particle hangs straight beneath the hole.
i) Assume the second particle hangs straight beneath the hole. Write down the
Lagrangian of the system in terms of r and an angle that the rst particle makes
with respect to a xed axis. Identify the ignorable coordinate. Write down the equation
of motion for the remaining coordinate assuming the rope remains taught.
ii) Now let the second particle oscillate beneath the table as a spherical pendulum.
How many degrees of freedom does the system now have? Write down the Lagrangian
describing the motion assuming the rope remains taught at all times. How many
ignorable coordinates are there?
3