Analytical solution of the Euler-Poinsot problem (Q1980474)

In this article the Euler-Poinsot problem has been solved. This is one of the classical problems of mechanics that studies a free motion of an arbitrary rigid body. The author computed the angular velocity and Euler's angles analytically using case distinctions on expressions using the kinetic energy and the angular momentum. A second part of the article deals with the herpolhode and asks for conditions that it is a closed curve. Using the same case distinction it is possible to find conditions on the Euler angles to repeat their states simultaneously after a certain interval of time. The theoretical part of the article is finished with a numerical example. Furthermore, the author programmed an Euler-Poinsot solver with a graphical user interface and the code is freely accessible via GitLab and is also incorporated in the software Scilab. Additionally, in a second software with a GUI the user can specify parts of the parameters (two principal moments of inertia) of the motion and the output consist of the missing parameter to achieve a closed herpolhode. The paper ends with a comparison of the analytical with a numerical solution and it turns out, that the numerical errors are negligible.