The discussion centers on the expansion of Goldstein's equation 6.3 from the 3rd Edition, specifically regarding oscillations and the application of Taylor series. Participants express confusion over the derivation of certain terms (ni's) in the equation. It is noted that for a spring-mass system, the energy is inherently quadratic with respect to displacement, raising questions about the necessity of a Taylor series expansion in this context.
PREREQUISITESStudents and educators in physics, particularly those studying classical mechanics and oscillatory systems, as well as researchers exploring mathematical methods in physics.
Not many people have this book. Maybe you should take a screen shot and upload it? From what you're saying, I don't see why you would need a Taylor series for the energy of an oscillating mass. It is already quadratic with the displacement (for a spring-mass system at least).shehry1 said:I was wondering if someone could help me with Goldstein's equation 6.3 (3rd Edition). It is the chapter of oscillations and all that he has done in the equation is to expand it in the form of a Taylor series. I can't seem to get how all those ni's come to get there.