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Translate the generalized coordinates so that the equilibrium is at zero. Its potential gradient vanishes, and its quadratic potential energy is $q^T\mathsf{V}q/2$, where $\mathsf{V}$ is the symmetric Hessian matrix. The Euler-Lagrange equations for small motion areA normal mode has fixed component ratios, $q(t)=v\cos (\omega t+\varphi )$, withThe angular frequency $\omega$ is its eigenfrequency. A zero mode instead admits a constant or linear time factor. For modes $v_{\alpha },v_{\beta }$, symmetry givesHence mass-matrix orthogonality of normal modes isWithin a degenerate eigenspace, a basis can be chosen orthogonal in this positive weighted inner product.

For three masses connected pairwise, the exact energies areA fixed common translation $x_i\mapsto x_i+a$ preserves all differences and velocities. A fixed rigid rotation $x_i\mapsto Q{x}_i$ preserves their Euclidean norms. Thus both energies have these symmetries. Here the transformation is fixed in time; a moving reference frame would change the kinetic energy. Every equilateral configuration of side $\sqrt{3}$ has zero spring extensions, hence zero force and minimum potential, proving that it is an equilibrium.

For the specified displacement coordinates, writeThe exact potential is $V=(k/2){\sum }_{ij=12,13,23}(d_{ij}-\sqrt{3}{)}^2$. For an equilibrium edge vector $d$ and small perturbation $\delta d$,Thus only each first-order extension is needed for the quadratic potential. These extensions, with an immaterial sign choice for the horizontal edge, areConsequently $V_2=(k/2)(s_1^2+s_2^2+s_3^2)$, with remainder $O(|q{|}^3)$. If $s=Bq$, then $\mathsf{V}=k{B}^{T}B$. Expanding the squares givesThe small-oscillation mass and stiffness matrices are $\mathsf{T}=m{I}_6$ and the displayed $\mathsf{V}$. Hence

The two common translations give zero-mode vectorsAn infinitesimal counterclockwise rotation sends each equilibrium vertex $r_i$ to $J{r}_i$, where $J(x,y)=(-y,x)$. Therefore a third zero-mode vector isEach vector makes all three $s_j$ vanish, so lies in the kernel of a linear map $B$ and therefore in the kernel of $\mathsf{V}$. The rows of $B$ are independent: the $q_4$ and $q_6$ entries first force the coefficients of its last two rows to vanish, then the first coefficient vanishes. Thus $\mathrm{rank}B=3$, and the rank-nullity theorem proves that these are exactly the three zero modes.

For radial motion takeso that $x_i(t)=(1+a(t))r_i$ to first order. The force on mass $i$ is $-ka{\sum }_{j\ne i}(r_i-r_j)=-3ka{r}_i$, since ${\sum }_i{r}_i=0$. Newton's equation therefore gives $m\ddot{a}=-3ka$. Equivalently $\mathsf{V}{v}_b=3k{v}_b$. Hence the breathing normal mode hasAll three masses move radially outward together, then inward together, preserving the triangular shape. The remaining two normal modes of an equilateral spring triangle are shear deformations with squared frequency $3k/(2m)$; together with the breathing mode and three rigid zero modes they account for all six degrees of freedom.