A computational method for the solvability of a class of mechanical systems (Q701097)

The authors obtain criteria for the stability of the origin of the differential system (1) \(\ddot x= -xf(x)\), \(\ddot y=- yg(x)\), where \(f,g\) are \(\mathbb{C}^2\) functions defined in an open neighbourhood of \(0\in \mathbb{R}\), with \(f(0)> 0\), \(g(0)> 0\). The authors start with abstract necessary and sufficient conditions, and develop them into practical explicit conditions in terms of inequalities involving the successive derivatives of \(f(x)\), \(g(x)\) up to order 2 at \(x=0\). Some interesting applications of the theory are considered.