1. ### I Wilson's RG trajectories, Lagrangians and many worlds?

In this article [1] we can read an explanation about Wilson's approach to renormalization I have read that Kenneth G Wilson favoured the path integral/many histories interpretation of Feynman in quantum mechanics to explain it. I was wondering if he did also consider that multiple worlds...
2. ### Euler Lagrange equation and a varying Lagrangian

Hello, I have been working on the three-dimensional topological massive gravity (I'm new to this field) and I already faced the first problem concerning the mathematics, after deriving the lagrangian from the action I had a problem in variating it Here is the Lagrangian The first variation...
3. ### Simple pendulum of variable mass

Hello, I've got to rationally analice the form of the solutions for the equations of motion of a simple pendulum with a varying mass hanging from its thread of length ##l## (being this length constant). I approached this with lagrangian mechanics, asumming the positive ##y## direction is...
4. ### I Changing spherical coordinates in a Lagrangian

In order to compute de lagrangian in spherical coordinates, one usually writes the following expression for the kinetic energy: $$T = \dfrac{1}{2} m ( \dot{r}^2 + r^2 \dot{\theta}^2 + r^2 \sin^2 \theta \dot{\phi}^2 )\ ,$$ where ##\theta## is the colatitud or polar angle and ##\phi## is the...
5. ### I What is the derivative of velocity with respect to position?

I'm reading a book on Classical Mechanics (No Nonsense Classical Mechanics) and one particular section has me a bit puzzled. The author is using the Euler-Lagrange equation to calculate the equation of motion for a system which has the Lagrangian shown in figure 1. The process can be seen in...
6. ### I Geodesics subject to a restriction

Hi, I'm trying to solve a differential geometry problem, and maybe someone can give me a hand, at least with the set up of it. There is a particle in a 3-dimensional manifold, and the problem is to find the trajectory with the smallest distance for a time interval ##\Delta t=t_{1}-t_{0}##...
7. ### Noether's theorem with non-finite transformations

Hi! I am given the lagrangian: ## L = \dot q_1 \dot q_2 - \omega q_1 q_2 ## (Which corresponds to a 2D harmonic oscillator) And I am given two transformations and I am asked to say if there is a constant of motion associated to each transformation and to find it (if that's the case). I am...

16. ### A New Covariant QED representation of the E.M. field

90 years have gone by since P.A.M. Dirac published his equation in 1928. Some of its most basic consequences however are only discovered just now. (At least I have never encountered this before). We present the Covariant QED representation of the Electromagnetic field. 1 - Definition of the...
17. ### A Examples of a Lagrangian

Assuming generlized variables, q, we have a Lagrangian in mechanics as the kinetic energy, K, minus potential energy, U, with a dependency form such that L(q,dq/dt) = K(q, dq/dt) - U(q) Can someone provide examples of Lagrangians in other disciplines?
18. ### Finding the Lagrangian Matrix for Two-Spring Systems

Homework Statement The problem is attached. I'm working on the second system with the masses on a linear spring (not the first system). I think I solved part (a), but I'm not sure if I did what it was asking for. I'm not sure exactly what the question means by the... L=.5Tnn-.5Vnn. Namely, I'm...
19. ### A Reference frame conversion for a moving sphere

Hi here is the situation; There's a spherical particle contained with a MEMS sensor (3D accelerometer and gyroscope) moving down a bed. What we want is to estimate the total kinetic energy of the particle. The total kinetic energy has two parts, translational part and rotational part. for the...
20. ### Lagrangian Mechanics Question: A Yoyo radius a and b

Homework Statement A yoyo falls straight down unwinding as it goes, assume has inner radius a, outer radius b and Inertia I. What is the generalised coordinates and the lagrangian equation of motion? Homework Equations L=T-U where T is kinetic energy and U is potential The Attempt at a...
21. ### Propagator of the Proca Lagrangian

Homework Statement I want to show that the propagator of Proca Lagrangian: \mathcal{L}=-\frac{1}{4}F_{\mu \nu}F^{\mu \nu}+\frac{1}{2}M^2A_\mu A^\mu Is given by: \widetilde{D}_{\mu \nu}(k)=\frac{i}{k^2-M^2+i\epsilon}[-g_{\mu\nu}+\frac{k_\mu k_\nu}{M^2}] Homework Equations Remember that...
22. ### I A Question about the Lagrangian

Is there any proof for the Lagrangian: $$L = T - U$$ And why L = T - U ? Any help is much appreciated. Thank you.
23. ### I Cyclic variables for Hamiltonian

A single particle Hamitonian ##H=\frac{m\dot{x}^{2}}{2}+\frac{m\dot{y}^{2}}{2}+\frac{x^{2}+y^{2}}{2}## can be expressed as: ##H=\frac{p_{x}^{2}}{2m}+\frac{p_{y}^{2}}{2m}+\frac{x^{2}+y^{2}}{2}## or even: ##H=\frac{p_{x}^{2}}{2m}+\frac{p_{y}^{2}}{2m}+\frac{\dot{p_{x}}^{2}+\dot{p_{x}}^{2}}{4}##...
24. ### I SU(2) invariance implies isotropy?

Hello guys, I've came up with three statements in a discussion with a friend where we were trying to check if we had a clear vision of what isotropy and group invariance would imply in an arbitrary theory of gravity at the level of its matter lagrangian. We got stuck at some point so I came here...
25. ### Lagrangian for a bead on a wire

Homework Statement A bead of mass ##m## slides (without friction) on a wire in the shape, ##y=b\cosh{\frac{x}{b}}.## Write the Lagrangian for the bead. Use the Lagrangian method to generate an equation of motion. For small oscillations, approximate the differential equation neglecting terms...
26. ### Lagrangian for a particle in a bowl with parabolic curvature

Homework Statement A particle of mass ##m## moves without slipping inside a bowl generated by the paraboloid of revolution ##z=b\rho^2,## where ##b## is a positive constant. Write the Lagrangian and Euler-Lagrange equation for this system. Homework Equations...
27. ### Mechanics II: Hamiltonian and Lagrangian of a relativistic free particle

Homework Statement I am given the Hamiltonian of the relativistic free particle. H(q,p)=sqrt(p^2c^2+m^2c^4) Assume c=1 1: Find Ham-1 and Ham-2 for m=0 2: Show L(q,q(dot))=-msqrt(1-(q(dot))^2/c^2) 3: Consider m=0, what does it mean? Homework Equations Ham-1: q(dot)=dH/dp Ham-2: p(dot)=-dH/dq...
28. ### How can I find a Lagrangian

Homework Statement B is 10kg C is 20kg can I find a lagrangian for this system? If so how? Diagram: http://imgur.com/j811rzw Homework Equations L=T-V Kinetic = .5mv^2 Potential = mgh The Attempt at a Solution I know the kinetic energy must be 0 right? How could I find the potential?
29. ### Two masses connected by spring rotate around one axis

Homework Statement Take the x-axis to be pointing perpendicularly upwards. Mass ##m_1## slides freely along the x-axis. Mass ##m_2## slides freely along the y-axis. The masses are connected by a spring, with spring constant ##k## and relaxed length ##l_0##. The whole system rotates with...
30. ### A My T-shirt and the Standard Model

This T-shirt I bought at a physics conference displays the following equation. It looks like the Lagrangian of the Standard Model of particle physics but I only recognise lines 1 (electroweak) and 3 (Higgs mechanism). What are lines 2 and 4 and what is/isn't included? eg. are quarks, gluons...