DERIVATION OF EOMs AND HAMILTONS EQUATIONS OF MOTION FOR

DOUBLE PENDULUM
Consider a double pendulum with masses m1 and m2 and attached by
rigid, massless wires of lengths l1 and l2 Also, let the angles the wires
make with the vertical be denoted as

and

2 . Finally, let the

acceleration due to gravity be g.

Fig.1- Double Pendulum (From D.Morin)

The positions of the masses are given by the following equations:

(x , y )1=(l 1 sin 1 ,l 1 cos 1)

(x , y )2=(l 1 sin 1 +l 2 sin 2 ,l 1 cos 1l 2 cos 2 )
(x , y )1=(l 1 1 cos 1 ,l 1 1 sin 1 )
1 + l 2 2 cos 2 , l 1 1 sin 1+ l 2 2 sin 2
l 1 1 cos
(x , y )2=
2
2
1
1
2
m v = m ( l cos 1 ) + ( l 1 1 sin 1 )
2 1 1 2 1 1 1

1
1
2 2
2
2
2
2
m1 l 1 1 ( cos 1 +sin 1 ) = m1 l 1 1
2
2

 1+ l 2 2 cos 2
l 1 1 cos
2

( 2+ ( l
]
1 1 sin 1 +l 2 2 sin 2 )

1
1
2
m2 v 2 = m2
2
2

1
m2 [ l 12 12 cos2 1 +2l 1 l 2 1 2 cos 1 cos 2 ++l 22 22 cos2 2+ l 12 12 sin 2 1 +2 l 1 l 2 1 2 sin 1 sin 2+l 22 22 sin 2
2
1
m2 l 12 12 ( cos 2 1+ sin2 1 ) + l 22 22 ( cos2 2 +sin2 2 ) +2 l 1 l 2 1 2 ( cos 1 cos 2 +sin 1 sin 2 )
2

1
1
m2 v 22= m2 [l 12 12+l 22 22+2 l 1 l 2 1 2 cos ( 12 ) ]
2
2
The kinetic energy (K) is given by:

1
2 1
2
K= m1 v 1 + m2 v 2
2
2
1
1
m1 l 12 12 + m2 [l 12 12 +l 22 22 +2 l 1 l 2 1 2 cos ( 12 ) ]
2
2
The potential energy (V) of the system is then given by:

V =m 1 g y 1 +m2 g y 2=( m1 +m2 ) g l 1 cos ( 1 ) m2 g l 2 cos ( 2 )

The Lagrangian (L) is then:

1
2
2 1
2
2
L T V = ( m1 +m2 ) l 1 1 + m2 l 2 2 + m2 l 1 l 2 1 2 cos ( 12 ) + ( m1 +m2 ) g l 1 cos ( 1 ) +m2 g l 2 cos ( 2 )
2
2
Now to find EOMs using E-L equation:

d L
L
=

dt i i

( )

L
=( m1 +m 2 ) l 12 1 +m2 l 1 l 2 2 cos ( 1 2 )

d L
=( m1 +m 2 ) l12 1 +m2 l 1 l 2 2 cos ( 1 2) + m2 l 1 l 2 22 sin ( 1 2 )m2 l 1 l 2 1 2 sin ( 12 )
dt 1

( )

L
=m 2 l 1 l 2 1 2 sin ( 12 ) ( m1+ m2 ) g l 1 sin ( 1 )
1
d L
L

=0
dt 1 1

( )

( m1 +m 2 ) l 12 1 +m 2 l 1 l 2 2 cos ( 1 2 ) +m 2 l 1 l 2 22 sin ( 12 ) + ( m 1 +m 2 ) g l 1 sin ( 1 )=0

Which is our equation of motion for

1 . Now for

2 :

L
=m2 l 22 2 +m2 l 1 l 2 1 cos ( 1 2 )

2
d L
=m2 l22 2 +m2 l 1 l 2 1 cos ( 1 2) m2 l 1 l 2 12 sin ( 12 ) + m2 l 1 l 2 1 2 sin ( 1 2)

dt 2

( )

L
=m2 l 1 l 2 1 2 sin ( 1 2) m2 l 2 g sin ( 2 )
1
d L
L

=0
dt 2 2

( )

m2 l 22 2 ++m 2 l 1 l 2 1 cos ( 1 2 )m 2 l 1 l 2 12 sin ( 12 ) + m2 l 2 g sin ( 2 ) =0

Which is our EOM for

2 .

Now we can compute the generalized momenta (which has already been

found above in the E-L part),

p1=

pi =

L
i

L
=( m1+ m2 ) l 12 1 +m2 l 1 l 2 2 cos ( 1 2 )

p2 =

L
=m2 l 22 22 +m2 l 1 l 2 1 cos ( 1 2 )
2

The Hamiltonian (H) is then given by:

H= 1 p1+ 2 p2 L
p1 and

Subbing in for

p2

and L we get:

1
1
H= i piL= ( m1 +m2 ) l 12 12 + m2 l 22 22 +m2 l 1 l 2 1 2 cos ( 1 2) ( m 1 +m2 ) g l 1 cos ( 1 )m2 g l 2 cos ( 2)
2
2

Solving the generalized momenta equations for

plugging back into the Hamiltonian equation:

2=

1=

p2m2 l 1 l 2 1 cos ( 1 2 )
m 2 l 22

p1m2 l 1 l 2 2 cos ( 1 2 )
(m1 +m2)l 12

p2m2 l 1 l 2
2=

p1m2 l1 l 2 2 cos ( 12 )
2

(m 1 +m2) l 1

cos ( 1 2 )

m 2 l 22

H l 1 (m 1 +m 2) p 2l 2 m2 p 1 cos ( 1 2)
2=
=
p2
m2 l 22 l 1(m1 +m2 sin2 (12 ))

p1m2 l 1 l 2
1=

p2m2 l 1 l 2 1 cos ( 1 2 )
m 2 l 22
(m1+ m2 )l 12

cos ( 1 2)

and

and

l p l p cos ( 12 )
H
1=
= 22 1 1 2
p 1 l 1 l 2 (m1 +m2 sin 2( 12 ))

1
1
H= i piL= ( m1 +m2 ) l 12 12 + m2 l 22 22 +m2 l 1 l 2 1 2 cos ( 1 2) ( m 1 +m2 ) g l 1 cos ( 1 )m2 g l 2 cos ( 2)
2
2

H= 1 p1+ 2 p2 L

From the above equations we can see that: (you would have to explain this
better)

H=

1
( p + p )( m1 +m2 ) g l 1 cos ( 1 ) m2 g l 2 cos ( 2 )
2 1 1 2 2

H=

l 2 p 1l 1 p2 cos ( 12 )
l ( m +m ) p l m p cos ( 12 )
1
p1+ 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 12
p2 ( m1+ m2) g l 1 cos ( 1 )m
2
2
2 l 1 l 2( m1 +m2 sin (1 2))
m2 l 2 l 1 (m1+ m2 sin (1 2))

H=

2
l 1 (m1+ m2 ) p22l 2 m2 p1 p 2 cos ( 12)
1 l 2 p1 l 1 p1 p 2 cos ( 12)
+
( m1 +m2 ) g l 1 cos ( 1 ) m2
2 l 12 l 2( m1 +m2 sin2 (12 ))
m2 l 22 l 1 (m1+ m2 sin2 (1 2))

([

] [

])

([

][

])

Make the terms inside the brackets a single fraction by multiplying the first
term by m2 and l2, and the second term by l1. Then simplify.

([

][

])

l 1 (m1+ m2 ) p2 l 2 m2 p1 p 2 cos ( 12)

1 l 2 p1 l 1 p1 p 2 cos ( 12)
H=
+
( m1 +m 2 ) g l 1 cos ( 1 ) m2
2
2
2
2
2 l 1 l 2( m1 +m2 sin (12 ))
m2 l 2 l 1 (m 1+ m2 sin (1 2))

H=

l 2 m2 p1 +l 1 ( m1 +m2 ) p 2 2m2 l 1 l 2 p1 p 2 cos (1 2)

( m1 +m2 ) g l 1 cos ( 1 )m2 gl 2 cos ( 2)
2 m2 l 12 l 22 (m1+ m2 sin2 (12))

Alternatively you could try this way:

2

l p l p cos (1 2)
l (m +m ) p l m p cos ( 12 )
1
1
H= i piL= ( m1 +m2 ) l 12 22 1 1 2
+ m2 l 22 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 12
+m
2
2
l 1 l 2 (m1+ m2 sin (1 2)) 2
m2 l 2 l 1 (m1+ m2 sin (1 2))

Finding Hamiltons Equations of motion:

p1=

H
1

Looking at the fraction term in the Hamiltonian and applying the Quotient
rule:

let f ( 1 ) =

f ' ( 1 )=

l 22 m2 p 12+l 12 ( m1+m2 ) p222 m2 l 1 l 2 p 1 p2 cos ( 1 2)

2

2
2

2m2 l 1 l ( m1 +m2 sin ( 1 2 ) )

h ( 1 ) g ' ( 1) h' ( 1 ) g ( 1 )

[ h ( 1) ]

g' ( 1 ) h' ( 1 ) g ( 1)

2
h ( 1 )
[ h ( 1 ) ]

Where:
2

g ( 1 )=l 2 m2 p1 +l 1 ( m1+ m2 ) p2 2 m2 l 1 l 2 p 1 p2 cos( 12 )

g' ( 1) =2 m 2 l 1 l 2 p 1 p2 sin(1 2)
h ( 1 ) =2m 2 l12 l 22 ( m1 +m2 sin 2 ( 12 ) )
2

[ h ( 1 ) ] =4 m22 l14 l24 ( m1 +m2 sin2 ( 12 ) )

g( 1)
h(1 )

h' ( 1 )=2 m 22 l 12 l 22 sin [ 2 ( 12 ) ]

g ' ( 1)
2 m2 l 1 l 2 p 1 p2 sin(1 2)
let A=
=
h ( 1 ) 2 m2 l 12 l 22 ( m1+ m2 sin2 ( 1 2) )
m1+ m2 sin2 ( 12)
l 1 l2
p p sin(1 2)
A= 1 2

let B=

h' ( 1 ) g ( 1 )

[ h ( 1) ]

2 m22 l 12 l 22 sin [ 2 ( 12 ) ] ( l 22 m2 p12 +l 12 ( m 1 +m2 ) p222m2 l 1 l 2 p1 p 2 cos (1 2) )

2

4 m22 l 14 l 24 (m1 +m 2 sin 2 ( 1 2 ) )

l2

1 p22 ( m1+ m2 ) + ( l 22 p21 m 2 )(l 1 l 2 m2 p1 p 2 cos ( 12))

sin [ 2 ( 12 ) ]
B=
p1 =

H
=[ ( m 1+ m2 ) g l 1 sin ( 1 ) + AB]
1

Similarly for

p2=

2 :

H
2

Because of the negative sign in front of

signs.

p2 =

H
=[m2 g l 2 sin ( 2 ) A + B]
2

2 , A and B will have opposite

Now we have the Hamiltons Equations of Motion:

l 2 p q l 1 p2 cos ( 1 2)
H
1=
=2
p 1 l 1 l 2 (m1 +m2 sin 2( 12 ))
1

H
2=
=
p2

l 1 (m1 +m2) p q l 2 m2 p 2 cos ( 12 )

2

l 2 l 1 (m1+ m2 sin (1 2))

p1=

H
=( m1 +m2) g l 1 sin ( 1) A+ B
1

p2=

H
=m2 g l 2 sin ( 2 )+ AB
2

Where:

A=

p 1 p2 sin(1 2)
l 1 l 2 (m 1 +m2 sin 2 ( 1 2 ) )

l2

2
2
2
1 p 2 ( m1+ m2 ) + ( l 2 p 1 m 2 )(l 1 l 2 m2 p1 p 2 cos ( 12))

sin [ 2 ( 12 ) ]
B=
Matrix form:

l 2 pq l 1 p2 cos (12 )
1

l 1 l 2 (m1+ m2 sin 2 (12))

1
2 = l 1 ( m1 +m2 ) p q l 2 m2 p2 cos ( 1 2)
p1
l 22 l 1 (m1 +m2 sin 2 ( 1 2 ) )
p2
( m1 +m2 ) g l 1 sin ( 1 ) A+ B
m 2 g l 2 sin ( 2 ) + AB

()

Wrt 4 Hamiltonian equations: These last four equations are explicit

formulae for the time evolution of the system given its current state. It is
not possible to go further and integrate these equations analytically, to

get formulae for 1 and 2 as functions of time. It is however possible to

perform this integration numerically using the Runge Kutta method or
similar techniques.
So how does this system change wrt time?