Hoop with a suspended counterweight ($(M+m)R\ddot{\theta }=g(m-M\sin \theta )$)

A point mass $M$ attached to a massless rotating hoop of radius $R$ is connected by a taut string wrapping around the hoop to a vertically suspended mass $m$. Measure $\theta$ from the downward radius toward the string's tangency side. The wrapped length decreases by $R\theta$, so the suspended mass descends by the same amount. Therefore $T=(M+m)R^2{\dot{\theta }}^2/2$ and $V=-MgR\cos \theta -mgR\theta$ up to a constant. The Euler-Lagrange equation gives the displayed equation. For $0<m<M$, the stable equilibrium has $\sin {\theta }_0=m/M$, and the small-oscillation angular frequency is $\omega =\sqrt{g/R}[(M-m)/(M+m){]}^{1/4}$. When $M\gg m$, the system approaches a simple pendulum of length $R$.