An equilibrium point has and . Since , the linearized displacement satisfies
Thus gives a stable equilibrium, while gives an unstable equilibrium point. More generally, a strict local minimum of is sufficient for stability by the conserved first integral in b. When , the second-derivative test alone is inconclusive, and the local shape of must be examined.
For the specified ellipse, put . Direct differentiation gives
Consequently, with and ,
Two equilibria always occur at . Any further equilibria must satisfy
To decide exactly when this is possible, view the equation as with . Its derivative is positive on , and it takes endpoint values and . Since implies , the complete list is:
  • If , there are four distinct equilibria modulo : , , and . For the additional positive angle lies in ; at the additional pair is ; for it lies in .
  • If , the additional pair merges with , leaving two distinct equilibria, and .
  • If , there are only the two equilibria and . In particular, does not introduce a missing case: the undivided bracket is then the positive constant , so there is no extra root.
These are positions of the bead at rest relative to the rotating hoop. No stability classification of the particular ellipse is needed.