Classical physics

While working on another project, it became clear that we had actually solved a well-known problem in classical physics. This problem is known as the bead on a hoop (a pendulum with a fixed rotation about the vertical axis). Students commonly see this problem as their first example of Lagrangian mechanics and are asked to only solve for the new minimum that the bead rises to.

The full solution of the differential equation is possible with Jacobi elliptic functions as demonstrated in the paper below and leads to some remarkable features of the problem.

  • T.E. Baker and A. Bill, "Jacobi elliptic functions and the complete solution to the bead on the hoop problem" Am. J. Phys. 80, 506 (2012) [Featured] [online] [arxiv:1201:4201] [pdf] [bibtex]