Homework 4 Classical Mechanics

Deadline October 11, 2023.

Juan Becerra Zamudio

Problem 1. Find the Hamiltonian and the canonical equations corresponding to each of the following La-
grangians
1
(a) L(ϕ, ϕ̇, t) = ml2 ϕ̇2 + mlaγ 2 sin(ϕ − γt) + mgl cos ϕ. (1)
2
(b) L(θ, θ̇) = m1 a2 (θ̇2 + Ω2 sin2 θ) + 2m2 a2 θ̇2 sin2 θ + 2(m1 + m2 )ga cos θ. (2)
1 2 1 
2 2

(c) L(x, ϕ, ẋ, ϕ̇) = (m1 + m2 )ẋ + m2 l ϕ̇ + 2lẋϕ̇ cos ϕ + m2 gl cos ϕ. (3)
2 2
Answer: Given the Lagrangian we can find the Hamiltonian of the system as the Legendre transformation
X
H= q˙i pi − L (4)
∂L
where pi = ∂ q˙i
is the canonical momentum. The procedure is as follows
• Calculate the canonical momentum

• Find the inverse transform q˙i = q˙i (qi , pi , t)

• Substitute pi and q˙i in terms of the generalized coordinates and momentums in the Legendre transforma-
tion from eq(4).
∂H ∂H
• Compute the canonical equations ϕ̇i = ∂pi
and ṗi = − ∂ϕ i

The calculations were done in Python and are indicated in the attached Notebook.
a) In this case we only have one generalized coordinate ϕ so the canonical momentum is

pϕ = l2 mϕ̇

From this, we can solve ϕ̇ in terms of pϕ

pϕ
ϕ̇ =
l2 m
Substituting in the Legendre transformation we find that the Hamiltonian of the system is given by

p2ϕ
H(ϕ, pϕ , t) = aγ 2 lm sin (γt − ϕ) − glm cos (ϕ) + (5)
2l2 m
where we note that H explicitly depends on t.
The canonical equations are

pϕ
ϕ̇ = (6)
l2 m

1
 p˙ϕ = lm aγ 2 cos (γt − ϕ) − g sin (ϕ)


(7)
b) Analogously to a) we find the canonical momentum

pθ = 2a2 m1 + 2m2 sin2 (θ) θ̇

Solving for θ̇ and substituting in the Legendre transformation we find that the Hamiltonian of the system is
given by

−4a3 m1 + 2m2 sin2 (θ) Ω2 am1 sin2 (θ) + 2gm1 cos (θ) + 2gm2 cos (θ) + p2θ



H(θ, pθ ) = (8)
4a2 m1 + 2m2 sin2 (θ)

with canonical equation given by

pθ (t)
θ̇ = (9)
m1 + 2m2 sin2 (θ(t))


2a2

m2 p2θ sin(θ) cos(θ)

p˙θ = −2a sin(θ) m1 g − aΩ2 cos(θ) + gm2 +



(10)
a2 2m2 sin2 (θ) + m1 2

Here we have used Mathematica for the algebraic simplification.

c) Finally, in the case of the Lagrangian c) we have two generalized coordinates x and ϕ so we have two
canonical momenta
 
pϕ = lm2 lϕ̇ + cos (ϕ)ẋ

px = lm2 cos (ϕ)ϕ̇ + (m1 + m2 )ẋ

Solving the two equations for ẋ and ϕ̇ and substituting in the Legendre transformation we find


m2 l2 p2x − 2lpx pϕ cos(ϕ) + p2ϕ + m1 p2ϕ
H(x, ẋ, ϕ, ϕ̇) = − glm2 cos(ϕ) (11)
2l2 m2 m2 sin2 (ϕ) + m1

with the canonical equations

−lm2 px (t) cos (ϕ(t)) + m1 pϕ (t) + m2 pϕ (t)

ϕ̇ = (12)
l2 m2 m1 + m2 sin2 (ϕ(t))

 
sin(ϕ) 2gl3 m2 m2 sin2 (ϕ) + m1 2 − 2l2 m2 p2x cos(ϕ) + lpϕ px (m2 (cos(2ϕ) + 3) + 2m1 ) − 2 (m1 + m2 ) p2ϕ cos(ϕ)


p˙ϕ = −
2l2 m2 sin2 (ϕ) + m1 2

(13)
and

lpx (t) − pϕ (t) cos (ϕ(t))

ẋ = (14)
l m1 + m2 sin2 (ϕ(t))

ṗx = 0 (15)
We see that px is constant due to the fact that x is a cyclic coordinate.

2
Problem 2. Find the conditions on the parameters a, b, c, d ∈ R such that the linear differential equations

ṗ = ap + bq, q̇ = cp + dq, (16)

are the canonical equations for some Hamiltonian H, and compute H.

Answer:
We know that
∂H ∂H
q̇ = ṗ = − (17)
∂p ∂q
Substituting (16) we have
∂H
= −ap − bq
∂q
and
∂H
= cp + dq
∂q
Integrating the two equations
b
H(q, p) = − q 2 − apq + A(p) (18)
2
c 2
H(q, p) = p + dqp + B(q) (19)
2
Thus, we can see that if the two equations are equal A(q) = 2c p2 and B(p) = − 2b q 2 .

∴ d = −a (20)
and the Hamiltonian is

c b
H(p, q) = p2 + dqp − q 2 (21)
2 2

Problem 3. In the absence of an electric field, the Lagrangian of an electron of mass m and charge −e is
L = 12 mẋ2 − eẋ · A. In the case of motion restricted to a plane we have A = (B/2)(−y, x). Write the
Hamiltonian in polar coordinates and the canonical equations. Find the radius of the circular orbit.

Answer: The Lagrangian of the system, in Cartesian coordinates is

1 Be Be
L = (ẋ2 + ẏ 2 ) + ẋy − ẏx
2 2 2
We can see that if we calculate the EOM for this system, this Lagrangian describes a system of an electron
of mass m and charge e under a constant magnetic field B = B ẑ and velocity v = (ẋ, ẏ) under the influence
of the Lorentz Force given by

F = ev × B
Using polar coordinates
x = r cos ϕ y = r sin ϕ
Then, the Lagrangian in polar coordinates is

Ber2 ϕ̇ mr2 ϕ̇2 mṙ2

L(r, ṙ, ϕ̇) = − + + (22)
2 2 2
3
 We see that ϕ is a cyclic coordinate. Following the same procedure performed in the first problem, we can
find the Hamiltonian given the Lagrangian in polar coordinates (22).The canonical momenta are
 
Be
pr = mṙ pϕ = − + mϕ̇ r2 (23)
2
Solving (23) in terms of ṙ and ϕ̇ and substituting in the Legendre transformation (explicit calculations can
be found in the Notebook) we find that the Hamiltonian is given by

B 2 e2 r2 Bepϕ p2r p2ϕ

H(r, pr , pϕ ) = + + + (24)
8m 2m 2m 2mr2
Due to the fact that ϕ is cyclic pϕ is constant.

p˙ϕ = 0 (25)
The other canonical equations are

pr B 2 e2 r p2ϕ
ṙ = p˙r = − + (26)
m 4m mr3
Be pϕ
ϕ̇ = + (27)
2m mr2
Therefore, for a circular orbit, where r is constant (r = rc ), pr = 0 and for (26)

B 2 e2 rc p2ϕ
− + =0
4m mrc3
r
2pϕ
∴ rc = (28)
Be
Another for of see this is find ϕ̇ when r = rc , substituting r = rc in (27)
Be Be Be
ϕ̇ = + =
2m 2m m
In the other hand, under a circular motion Lorentz Force and centripetal force (mrc ϕ̇2 ) are equal in magni-
tude.

|FLorentz | = Be(rc ϕ̇) = mrc ϕ̇2

Be
∴ ϕ̇ = (29)
m
Under circular motion
r
2pϕ
rc = (30)
Be
and
Be
FLorentz = Fcentripetal → ϕ̇ = (31)
m

4
Problem 4. Probe the following identities for the Poisson brackets
∂f ∂g ∂f ∂g
{f, g} = − , (32)
∂xi ∂pi ∂pi ∂xi
involving the components of the angular momentum

Li = ϵijk xj pk . (33)

(a) {Li , xj } = ϵijk xk . (34)

(b) {Li , pj } = ϵijk pk . (35)
(c) {Li , Lj } = ϵijk Lk . (36)
(d) {Li , xj xj } = 0. (37)
(e) {Li , pj pj } = 0. (38)
(f) {Li , Lj Lj } = 0. (39)

Answer: Using the definition of the Poisson brackets

∂f ∂g ∂f ∂g
{f, g} = − ,
∂xi ∂pi ∂pi ∂xi
We can calculate
∂Li ∂xl
= ϵilm pm = ϵilm pm δln = ϵinm pm
∂xn ∂xn
and
∂Li ∂Pm
= ϵilm xl = ϵilm xl δmn = ϵiln xl
∂pn ∂pn
where we have used (33).
Thus, we have
∂Li ∂Li
= ϵiln xl = ϵinm pm (40)
∂pn ∂xn
a) Calculating {Li , xj } using (40)
∂Li ∂xj ∂Li ∂xj ∂Li ∂xj
{Li , xj } = − =− = −ϵiln xl δjn = ϵijl xl
∂xn ∂pn ∂pn ∂xn ∂pn ∂xn

∴ {Li , xj } = ϵijk xk (41)

b) Analogously to a) we calculate
∂Li ∂pj ∂Li ∂pj ∂Li ∂pj
{Li , pj } = − = = ϵinm pm δjn = ϵijm pm
∂xn ∂pn ∂pn ∂xn ∂xn ∂pn

∴ {Li , pj } = ϵijk pk (42)

c)
∂Li ∂Lj ∂Li ∂Lj
{Li , Lj } = − = ϵinm ϵjln pm xl − ϵjnm ϵiln pm xl = −ϵimn ϵjln pm xl + ϵjmn ϵiln pm xl
∂xn ∂pn ∂pn ∂xn
where we have used ϵinm = −ϵimn .
Using ϵimn ϵjln = (δij δml − δil δmj )

5
{Li , Lj } = − (δij δml − δil δmj ) xl pm +(δij δml − δjl δmi ) xl pm = (δil δjm − δjl δim ) xl pm = ϵijk ϵlmk xl pm = ϵijk Lk

∴ {Li , Lj } = ϵijk Lk (43)

d) In this case we will use {A, BC} = {A, B} C + A {A, C}

{Li , xj xj } = xj {Li , xj } + {Li , xj } xj

Using a)
{Li , xj xj } = xj ϵijk xk + ϵijk xk xj = 2ϵijk xk xj
ϵijk is asymmetric in (j,k) while xk xj is symmetric

∴ {Li , xj xj } = 0 (44)
e) Similarly

{Li , pj pj } = pj {Li , pj } + {Li , pj } pj = 2ϵijk pk pj = 0

∴ {Li , pj pj } = 0 (45)
f)
{Li , Lj Lj } = Lj {Li , Lj } + {Li , Lj } Lj = 2ϵijk Lk Lj = 0

∴ {Li , Lj Lj } = 0 (46)