PHY 711 Classical Mechanics and

Mathematical Methods
10-10:50 AM MWF Olin 103

Plan for Lecture 7:

Continue reading Chapter 3
1. Lagrange’s equations
2. D’Alembert’s principle

9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 1

9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 2
9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 3
9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 4
 Summary of results from the calculus of variation

For the class of problems where we need to perform an extremization

on an integral form :
xf
 dy  
I 
xi
f   y ( x), , x dx
 dx  
A necessary condition is the Euler - Lagrange equations :
 f  d  f 
      0
 y  dx   dy / dx  
d  f dy   f 
 f     
dx   dy / dx  dx   x 

9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 5

Application to particle dynamics

Simple example: vertical trajectory of

particle of mass m subject to constant
downward acceleration a=-g.

d2y
m 2  mg
dt
y (t )  yi  vi t  12 gt 2

9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 6

 Now consider the Lagrangian defined to be :
 dy  
L  y (t ), , t   T  U
 dt  

Potential
Kinetic
energy
energy
In our example :
 dy  
2
1  dy 
L  y (t ), , t   T  U  m   mgy
 dt   2  dt 
Hamilton' s principle states :
 1  dy  2
tf

S    m   mgy dt is minimized for physical y (t ) :
 2  dt  
ti  
9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 7
 http://www.hamilton2005.ie/

9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 8

 http://rjlipton.wordpress.com

9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 9

 Condition for minimizing the action :
tf
 1  dy  2 
S    m   mgy dt
 2  dt  
ti  
Euler - Lagrange relations :
L d L
 0
y dt y
d
 mg  my  0
dt
d dy
  g
dt dt

y (t )  yi  vi t  12 gt 2

9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 10

 Check :
tf
 1  dy  2 
S    m   mgy dt
 2  dt  
ti  
Assume ti  0, yi  H  12 gT 2 ; t f  T , y f  0
Trial trajectories : y1 (t )  12 gT 2 1  t / T   H  12 gTt
 
y2 t   12 gT 2 1  t 2 / T 2  H  12 gt 2
y3 t   12 gT 2 1  t 3
/T 3  H  1
2 gt 3 / T
Maple says :
S1  0.125mg 2T 3
S 2  0.167 mg 2T 3
S3  0.150mg 2T 3

9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 11

 Jean d’Alembert 1717-1783

9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 12

D’Alembert’s principle:

Generalized coordinates :
ds
q xi 

Newton' s laws :
F-ma  0  F-ma   ds  0
xi
F  ds   Fi q
 i q
U
For a conservative force : Fi  
xi
U xi U
F  ds   q   q
 i xi q  q

9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 13

 Generalized coordinates :
ds
q xi 
Newton' s laws :
F-ma  0  F-ma   ds  0
xi
ma  ds   mxi q
 i q
d  xi  d xi 
    mxi
     mxi
q
 i  dt  q  dt q 
xi xi d xi  dxi xi
Claim :  and  
q q dt q q dt q

ma  ds    

 d   12 mxi 2    1
2mxi
2
q

i  dt  q  q  
  

9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 14

 Generalized coordinates :
ds
q xi 

ma  ds    

 d   12 mxi 2    1
2mxi
2
q

i  dt  q  q  
  
T   12 mxi
2
Define - - kinetic energy :
i

 d T T 
ma  ds     q
  dt q
 q 
Recall :
U xi U
F  ds   q  q
 i xi q  q

U  d T T 
F-ma   ds   q     q  0
 q   dt q
 q 
9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 15
 Generalized coordinates :
ds
q xi 

U  d T T 
F-ma   ds   q     q  0
 q   dt q
 q 
 d  T  U   T  U  
     q  0
  dt q q 

Lq , q ; t   T  U
Note : This is only true if
U
0
q
9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 16
 Generalized coordinates :
ds
q xi 

Define - - Lagrangian : L  T  U
L  Lq , q , t 
 d L L 
F-ma   ds     q  0
  dt q
 q 
tf

 Minimization integral : S   Lq , q , t dt

ti

9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 17

Euler  Lagrange equations : L  Lq , q , t   T  U
d L L
 0
dt q q

Example:

d  
L  L q , q  12 md 2q 2  mg d  d cos q 

q d L L d
 0  md 2q  mgd sin q  0
dt q q dt
d 2q g
2
 sin q
dt d

9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 18

Another example : L  Lq , q , t   T  U
d L L
 0
dt q q
 
L  L( ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  )  12 I1  2 sin 2    2  12 I 3  cos      Mgd cos 
2

9/11/2013 PHY 711 Fall 2013 -- Lecture 7 19