Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematical-methods-i-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2017/8/b/iv/solution
Past exam of the mathematical methods I course of the University of Oxford 2017 8 b iv Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Substituting and using the diagonalization givesFor and energy level one in the chosen units, its ellipse equation isThe major semiaxis has length along ; the minor semiaxis has length along . The full axis lengths are and . The original-coordinate curve is the same ellipse tilted by , elongated along ; an orthogonal coordinate change preserves lengths and does not change the ellipse itself.
Principal axes of the rotational-energy ellipse
. Original plot at I0 equal to one and energy equal to one, showing the longer axis along the normalized (1,1) eigenvector and the shorter perpendicular axis. Details. New to topics? Read the docs here!
