UNIVERSITY OF HYDERABAD

School of Physics
M.Sc.-2019 & I.M.Sc.-2016 Batches
PY 402: Classical Mechanics
Assignment Set: 2
Due date for submission: October 10, 2019
Please be precise for answering correctly.
Total Marks/Grade: N/A
N.B.: Symbols have their usual meaning.
Lagrangian Formalism:
R2 Rx q dy 2
• 1. Consider the length (S[y] = 1 dl = x12 1 + ( dx ) dx) of a curve joining two fixed
points (x1 , y1 ) and (x2 , y2 ) in the x − y plane be an action1 of a trajectory w.r.t. the
variable x (not w.r.t. time). Apply the least action principle to show that, the shortest
length corresponds to the segment of a straight line.
• 2 A. Show with a suitable geometrical figure, that area S of a simple closed curve C (which
lies in the x − y plane in the anticlockwise sense
H and which contains the origin (0,0) in it,
e.g. an ellipse) is given by S = − C ydx = 21 C (−ydx + xdy).
H

B. Apply Stoke’s theorem for Rthe vector field B ~ = 1 [−y î + xĵ + 0k̂] defined on and inside
2
the curve C, show that S = S dxdy.
* C. Let the curve be parametrized by y = y(t) and x = x(t), and the length of the
H p
curve be expressed as SL [x, y] = C ẋ2 + ẏ 2 dt. Determine the nature of the curve, for
the fixed SL , which encloses the maximum area by applying the least (stationary) action
principle.
R2 Rθ q
• * 3. Consider the length (S[φ] = 1 dl = θ12 a 1 + sin2 θ( dφ dθ
)2 dθ) of a curve joining
two fixed points (a, θ1 , φ1 ) and (a, θ2 , φ2 ) on the outer curved surface of a sphere of radius
a be an action of a trajectory w.r.t. the variable θ (not w.r.t. time). Apply the least action
principle to show that, the shortest length of the curve corresponds to the segment2 of one
of the greatest circles3 .
• 4. Let OX and OY be axes of a Cartesian coordinate system where OX be the horizontal
line. Let AB be a uniformly heavy rod constrained to move with A on OX and B on OY
without any frictions. Write down Lagrange’s equation of motion for the system (rod) and
integrate it.
• 5. The string of a pendulum is elastic. Set up Lagrange’s equation and find the time period
for small oscillations in case the motion is restricted to a plane.
Hamiltonian Formalism:
• 6 Write down Lagrangian of a spherical pendulum. There-from obtain its Hamiltonian, and
write down Hamilton’s equation of motion for this system.
• 7 A. Write down Hamiltonian for a charged particle in an electromagnetic field.
B. Express the Hamiltonian in terms of the angular momentum of the particle for a uniform
magnetic field along the z direction.
C. Solve Hamilton’s equation of motion for this case of constant magnetic field and zero
electric field, and find trajectory of the particle.
1
Note: the action S[y] is not a function of y. It is a functional of the function
R1 y(x). S[y] takes a
function y(x) and maps on to the real line (R). E.g. The functional F [y] = 0 x2 dx takes the function
f (x) = x2 and maps to 1/3 in R.
2
Such a segment can be called as a geodesic.
3
Equator or longitudes are the examples of the great circles. The origin lies in the plane of the greatest
circles.
 Assignment Set: 2

• 8. Find the relation between the constant a and b if the following transformation is to be
canonical: q = aP 1/2 sin(Q) and p = bP 1/2 cos(Q).

• 9. Let the Hamiltonian for a 1-D simple harmonic oscillator be H = p2 /2m + mω 2 q 2 /2

(here m = 1).Solve the problem of the harmonic oscillator by making a canonical transfor-
mation with the generator F = 12 ωq 2 cot(2πQ).

• 10. Find the form of the function f for which Q = f (q) cos(p) and P = f (q) sin(p)
represent a canonical transformation.

References: Mechanics - Landau; Classical Mechanics - A.K. Raychaudhuri, Theoretical Me-

chanics - Spiegel, Classical Mechanics - Morin, Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos - Strogatz