Document Type

Article

Original Publication Date

2002

Journal/Book/Conference Title

International Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences

Volume

29

Issue

11

DOI of Original Publication

10.1155/S0161171202006014

Comments

Originally published at

http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/S0161171202006014

Date of Submission

August 2014

Abstract

First we compute the natural frequencies of vibration of four identical particles coupled by ideal, massless harmonic springs. The four particles are constrained to move on a fixed circle. The initial computations are simplified by a transformation to symmetry coordinates. Then the symmetry of the vibrating system is broken by changing the mass of a single particle by a very small amount. We observe the effect of applying the symmetry transformation to the now slightly nonsymmetric system. We compute the new frequencies and compare them with the frequencies of the original symmetric system of oscillators. Results of similar calculations for 2,3,5, and 6particles are given.

Rights

Copyright © 2002 Hindawi Publishing Corporation. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Is Part Of

VCU Mathematics and Applied Mathematics Publications

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