Quick question on differential equation

WannabeNewton
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Homework Statement



If the metric for (x^{i}) is
G = \begin{bmatrix} (x^{1})<br /> &amp; 0 \\ <br /> 0 &amp; 1<br /> \end{bmatrix}

a) write the differential equations of the geodesics in terms of the Dependant variables u = (x^{1})^{2} and v = x^{2}; (b) integrate these equations and eliminate the arc - length parameter from the solution.

The Attempt at a Solution



I wrote out the geodesic equations in full and when I looked over the Christoffel symbols and all of the terms having them vanished for x^2 and one of them remained for x^1. The book's simple statement of the answer gives
d^2v / ds^2 = d^2u / ds^2 = 0
and I have no idea how they came to that. Sorry if this is very trivial and I am just being an idiot.

I am also confused for part (b). Does the question want me to integrate with respect to ds or multiply out ds and then integrate? Also how many constants would I need to add after integrating and where? Thank you in advance.
 
Prove $$\int\limits_0^{\sqrt2/4}\frac{1}{\sqrt{x-x^2}}\arcsin\sqrt{\frac{(x-1)\left(x-1+x\sqrt{9-16x}\right)}{1-2x}} \, \mathrm dx = \frac{\pi^2}{8}.$$ Let $$I = \int\limits_0^{\sqrt 2 / 4}\frac{1}{\sqrt{x-x^2}}\arcsin\sqrt{\frac{(x-1)\left(x-1+x\sqrt{9-16x}\right)}{1-2x}} \, \mathrm dx. \tag{1}$$ The representation integral of ##\arcsin## is $$\arcsin u = \int\limits_{0}^{1} \frac{\mathrm dt}{\sqrt{1-t^2}}, \qquad 0 \leqslant u \leqslant 1.$$ Plugging identity above into ##(1)## with ##u...
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