Ordinary Differential Equations and Applied Dynamics Commons^™

Analytical And Numerical Solutions For The Hydrogen Atom, Kassidy Myers

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The Schrödinger equation is the foundational equation of non-relativistic quantum mechanics. The hydrogen atom is the simplest system for solving this equation, as it consists of only one proton and one electron. In this project, we work on the Schrödinger equation that models the spherically symmetric states of the hydrogen atom that depend only on the radial coordinate. We simplified and nondimensionalized the radial equation and solved the resulting equation using a power series (Frobenius) method. This approach revealed the physically meaningful solutions and led to quantized energy levels. In addition to finding the analytical solution, we numerically solve the …

The Motion Of A Falling Object Under Linear Drag And How Differential Equations Can Be Used To Find It, Lukas Estrella

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This project, "The Motion of a Falling Object Under Linear Drag and How Differential Equations Can Be Used To Find It," investigates the motion of a falling object subject to air resistance through a combination of mathematical modeling and fundamental physical principles. The analysis is grounded in Newton’s second law, which yields a differential equation describing the forces acting on the object. Assuming a linear drag model, in which the resistive force is proportional to velocity, the governing equation reduces to a first-order ordinary differential equation for velocity. This equation is solved using the integrating factor method, yielding an explicit …

The General Solution Analysis Of Homogeneous Linear Equations, Jacob Schwamb, Edward Whipple

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The general solution analysis of homogeneous linear equations are any systems of equations in which all constant terms are equal to zero is classified as a homogeneous linear equation. Some key characteristics of homogeneous linear equations are that there are “zero” solutions, where every system has at least a single solution where all variables are zero, also all solutions to any homogenous linear equation is linearly independent, along with having preserved homogeneity, where if any variable (x) may be added to the system, then any scalar multiple of the variable is also a solution. The General solution of any homogeneous …

Modeling Population Growth With Logistic And Modified Logistic Equations, Mihil Dimpal Patel

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Population growth models are essential tools for understanding how biological populations change over time under environmental constraints. This study examines population dynamics by comparing the classical exponential growth model with the logistic growth model. While exponential growth assumes unlimited resources and results in unbounded population increase, the logistic model incorporates a carrying capacity that limits growth as resources become scarce. To better represent real-world conditions, the logistic model is extended by introducing modifications such as harvesting terms and time-varying carrying capacities, which account for external removal of individuals and changing environmental limits. The equilibria of these models are determined, and …

Modeling Seiche Oscillations Using Damped Vibration Differential Equations, Bianca Gerity, Arineh Shahbazi

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

A seiche oscillation is a standing wave that oscillates in an enclosed body of water, like a lake or pool. Seiches are caused by strong winds, earthquakes, and rapid atmospheric changes. Seiches are an excellent real-world example of damped harmonic motion. The physics of these unique vibrations can actually be modeled using a second-order differential equation for damped oscillators of the general form mx''+cx'+kx=0, where m represents the mass of the vibrating water column, c represents the energy dissipation due to friction and viscosity, and k represents the force governed by gravity and the basin's geometry. The objective of this …

Bridging Discrete And Continuous Systems: Fibonacci Sequences And Exponential Growth From Odes, Martyna Wojcik

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Bridging Discrete and Continuous Systems: Fibonacci Sequences and Exponential Growth from Ordinary Differential Equations       It has been observed that nature often exhibits specific patterns of growth and structure in biological systems and spiral formations. The Fibonacci sequence, defined as a discrete recursive sequence where each term is generated as the sum of the two preceding terms, “has been applied extensively to understand some natural phenomena” (Pakdemirli, 2023). In contrast, exponential growth describes a continuous process in which the rate of change of a quantity is proportional to its current value. Such behavior is modeled using differential equations that “produce solutions …

Mechanical Vibrations And Damping, Axon Deadrick, Will Standish, Tanay Agarwal

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Mechanical vibrations occur in many engineering systems and can be described using second-order differential equations. In this project, the motion of vibrating systems is studied using the mass–spring model. The focus is on three types of oscillations: free vibrations, dampened vibrations, and forced oscillations. Free vibration describes how a system moves when it is displaced and then released without any external force. Damped vibration includes effects such as friction or resistance that cause the motion to gradually decrease over time. Forced oscillations occur when an external force acts on the system and continuously drives the motion. This project also examines …

Numerical Modeling Of Badminton Shuttlecock Trajectories, Lola G. Torres, Cassandra Pumphrey, Jadyn Peterson, Domenic Barsotti

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The Trajectory of a badminton Shuttlecock can vary significantly when compared to a classic projectile motion, primarily due to aerodynamic drag. This project aims to model the flight of the shuttlecock using Newton's second law for gravitational and drag related forces, resulting in a nonlinear system of a first order differential equation. The given parameters include the shuttlecock mass, cross-sectional area, air density, as well as the drag coefficient, determining the overall magnitude of the drag force. The resulting initial value problem is solved numerically using a multitude of Runge_Kutta methods to compare the accuracy and stability across different computational …

Motion With Air Resistance, Gauge Mccain, Jacob Bealefeld, Francesca Wise

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The motion of objects moving through air is influenced not only by gravity but also by air resistance, which affects the speed and acceleration of the object over time. This project examines the motion of a falling object by modeling it with an ordinary differential equation that accounts for both gravitational force and a resistive drag force proportional to velocity. Using Newton’s Second Law, a first-order differential equation is derived to describe how the velocity of the object changes as it falls. The solution of this equation demonstrates how the velocity increases initially and gradually approaches a constant value known …

A Differential Equation Approach To Heat Flow In A Thin Rod, Alexandria Krol, David Cardona, Collin Petrie

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

A Differential Equation Approach to Heat Flow in a Thin Rod examines how differential equations can be used to model and understand heat conduction in a fundamental physical system. Heat transfer in solids is a key concept in physics and engineering, particularly in systems where temperature changes over time. A thin rod provides a useful one-dimensional model for studying how heat moves through a material and how temperature varies along the rod as time passes. The primary objective is to develop a mathematical description of this process using differential equations. The analysis begins with physical principles such as conservation of …

Numerical Analysis Of The Sir Model For Predicting Disease Spread, Victoria Gaibor, Isabel Tejada, Kate Moore

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This project, Numerical Solutions of the SIR Model for Predicting Disease Spread, investigates the application of numerical methods to analyze the dynamics of infectious diseases using the classical Susceptible–Infected–Recovered (SIR) model. The SIR model, a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations, is widely used to describe how diseases such as COVID-19 propagate through a population. The primary objective of this study is to solve the SIR initial value problem using multiple numerical techniques, including Euler’s method, Runge–Kutta methods, and multistep methods, and to compare their accuracy and efficiency. The model is implemented using given initial conditions and parameters, and additional …

Mechanical Vibrations And Damping – Structural Analysis, Kelsey Hunsicker, Sarah Kraus, Sophia Muller Martinelli De Souza

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Mechanical Vibrations are crucial in understanding and structural analysis of engineering systems such as bridges and airplane wings. If not considered, these vibrations can lead to structural fatigue or failure. By using differential equations, structural vibrations will be examined. Researching the different kinds of vibrations and damping will help to find the vibration behavior of the system. For example, a mass-spring damper system will use second-order linear differential equations. The systems model can be shown to be underdamped, overdamped, or critically damped. These will compare the amplitudes and oscillation differences between the systems by using computational code. Analyzing these differences …

Numerical Investigation Of The Nonlinear Simple Pendulum And The Dependence Of Oscillation Period On Initial Angle, Kelly Wold, Aidan Hart, Patrick Gilliam

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Numerical Investigation of the Nonlinear Simple Pendulum and the Dependence of Oscillation Period on Initial Angle examines how the oscillation period of a simple pendulum varies with initial angular displacement and evaluates the accuracy of numerical methods in capturing this behavior. In classical treatments, the small-angle approximation simplifies the governing differential equation and predicts a constant period independent of amplitude; however, this assumption breaks down for larger angles, where the system exhibits nonlinear dynamics. The objective of this project is to model the full nonlinear equation of motion and quantify how the period depends on initial conditions. To achieve this, …

Simulating Pacemakers And Heartbeat Recovery Through Mathematical Modeling, Thomas Estrada, Jayla Edwards

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Title: Simulating Pacemakers and Heartbeat Recovery Through Mathematical Modeling   This study utilizes the Fitzhugh-Nagumo model to simulate cardiac electrical activity and the regulatory role of pacemakers through ordinary differential equations (ODEs). By defining the rate of change for membrane voltage, 𝑑𝑣/dt, and a recovery variable, 𝑑𝑤/dt, the model captures the heart's excitability and resting states. Central to the analysis is the stimulus current parameter, which represents the "kick" provided by a pacemaker to correct flatline conditions or weak heartbeats. Using Euler’s method for numerical integration, the research compares unstable cardiac rhythms against corrected periodic oscillations. Additionally, the project implements vector …

Dual Quaternions For Gravity Recovery Missions, Ryan Kinzie

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

A dual quaternion-based modeling, state estimation and control approach is introduced as a better alternative to the traditional methods which are currently utilized for gravity recovery missions. The proposed modeling and control approach was verified against and compared to the tangent bundle to Special Euclidean Group 3 through MATLAB simulations. The dual quaternion-based approach shows superior performance over traditional linearized and uncoupled methodologies, in both modeling accuracy of spacecraft translational position, and the ability to control the pose of a test mass relative to its host spacecraft. Utilizing data products from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On mission, a …

A Mathematical Model On The Temporal Dynamics Of Aviation Competitive Pricing, Tichaona Chikore,, Farai Nyabadza,

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

This study investigates the competitive dynamics of airport pricing using U.S. airport data to validate the findings. It employs linear and nonlinear ordinary differential equation models to analyze the influence of competitive interactions and internal factors on pricing decisions. The methodology involves parameter estimation via optimization techniques and quantile regression to capture heterogeneity across market segments. Mathematical analysis and simulation results show that if competitive coupling coefficients are low then there is weak competitive influence on pricing, with airports’ pricing largely driven by internal factors. Also, if the adjustment rates exhibit consistency across airports then internal dynamics are dominant in …

Rigid Body Constrained Motion Optimization And Control On Lie Groups And Their Tangent Bundles, Brennan S. Mccann

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Rigid body motion requires formulations where rotational and translational motion are accounted for appropriately. Two Lie groups, the special orthogonal group SO(3) and the space of quaternions H, are commonly used to represent attitude. When considering rigid body pose, that is spacecraft position and attitude, the special Euclidean group SE(3) and the space of dual quaternions DH are frequently utilized. All these groups are Lie groups and Riemannian manifolds, and these identifications have profound implications for dynamics and controls. The trajectory optimization and optimal control problem on Riemannian manifolds presents significant opportunities for theoretical development. Riemannian optimization is an attractive …

2n-Dimensional Canonical Systems And Applications, Andrei Ludu, Keshav Baj Acharya

Publications

We study the 2N-dimensional canonical systems and discuss some properties of its fundamental solution. We then discuss the Floquet theory of periodic canonical systems and observe the asymptotic behavior of its solution. Some important physical applications of the systems are also discussed: linear stability of periodic Hamiltonian systems, position-dependent effective mass, pseudo-periodic nonlinear water waves, and Dirac systems.

Nonlocal Symmetries For Time-Dependent Order Differential Equations, Andrei Ludu

Publications

A new type of ordinary differential equation is introduced and discussed: time-dependent order ordinary differential equations. These equations are solved via fractional calculus by transforming them into Volterra integral equations of second kind with singular integrable kernel. The solutions of the time-dependent order differential equation represent deformations of the solutions of the classical (integer order) differential equations, mapping them into one-another as limiting cases. This equation can also move, remove or generate singularities without involving variable coefficients. An interesting symmetry of the solution in relation to the Riemann zeta function and Harmonic numbers is observed.

Differential Equations Of Dynamical Order, Andrei Ludu, Harihar Khanal

Publications

No abstract provided.

Generalized Thomas-Fermi Equations As The Lampariello Class Of Emden-Fowler Equations, Haret C. Rosu, S.C. Mancas

Publications

A one-parameter family of Emden-Fowler equations defined by Lampariello’s parameter p which, upon using Thomas-Fermi boundary conditions, turns into a set of generalized Thomas-Fermi equations comprising the standard Thomas-Fermi equation for p = 1 is studied in this paper. The entire family is shown to be non integrable by reduction to the corresponding Abel equations whose invariants do not satisfy a known integrability condition. We also discuss the equivalent dynamical system of equations for the standard Thomas-Fermi equation and perform its phase-plane analysis. The results of the latter analysis are similar for the whole class.

Improving Airplane Touchdown Control By Utilizing The Adverse Elevator Effect, Nihad E. Daidzic Ph.D., Sc.D.

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The main objective of this original research article is to understand the short-term dynamic behavior of the transport-category airplane during landing flare elevator control application. Increasing the pitch angle to arrest the sink rate, the elevator will have to produce negative lift to rotate the airplane’s nose upward. This has an immediate adverse effect of initially accelerating airplane downward. A mathematical model of landing flare based on the flat-Earth longitudinal dynamics of rigid airplane was developed which is realistic only on very short time-scales as pitch stiffness and damping were neglected. Pilot control scenarios using impulse and step elevator pull-up …

Computational Models For Nanosecond Laser Ablation, Harihar Khanal, David Autrique, Vasilios Alexiades

Publications

Laser ablation in an ambient environment is becoming increasingly important in science and technology. It is used in applications ranging from chemical analysis via mass spectroscopy, to pulsed laser deposition and nanoparticle manufacturing. We describe numerical schemes for a multiphase hydrodynamic model of nanosecond laser ablation expressing energy, momentum, and mass conservation in the target material, as well as in the expanding plasma plume, along with collisional and radiative processes for laser-induced breakdown (plasma formation). Numerical simulations for copper in a helium background gas are presented and the efficiency of various ODE integrators is compared.

Analytic Treatment Of Vortex States In Cylindrical Superconductors In Applied Axial Magnetic Field, Andrei Ludu, J. Van Deun, M. V, Milosevic, A. Cuyt, F. M. Peeters

Publications

We solve the linear Ginzburg–Landau GL equation in the presence of a uniform magnetic field with cylindrical symmetry and we find analytic expressions for the eigenfunctions in terms of the confluent hypergeometric functions. The discrete spectrum results from an implicit equation associated to the boundary conditions and it is resolved in analytic form using the continued fractions formalism. We study the dependence of the spectrum and the eigenfunctions on the sample size and the surface conditions for solid and hollow cylindrical superconductors. Finally, the solutions of the nonlinear GL formalism are constructed as expansions in the linear GL eigenfunction basis …

A Non-Autonomous Second Order Boundary Value Problem On The Half-Line, Gregory S. Spradlin

Publications

By variational arguments, the existence of a solution to a nonautonomous second-order boundary problem on the half-line is proven. The corresponding autonomous problem has no solution, revealing significant differences between the autonomous and the non-autonomous case.

Models Of Phototransduction In Rod Photoreceptors, Harihar Khanal, Vasilios Alexiades

Publications

Phototransduction is the process by which photons of light generate an electrical response in retinal rod and cone photoreceptors, thereby initiating vision. We compare the electrical response in salamander rods from increasingly more (spacialy) detailed models of phototransduction: 0-dimensional (bulk), 1-dimensional (longitudinal), 2-dimensional (axisymmetric), and 3-dimensional (with incisures). We discuss issues of finding physical parameters for simulation and validation of models, and also present some computational experiments for rods with geometry of mouse and human photoreceptors.

Interacting Near-Solutions Of A Hamiltonian System, Gregory S. Spradlin

Publications

A Hamiltonian system with a superquadratic potential is examined. The system is asymptotic to an autonomous system. The difference between the Hamiltonian system and the “problem at infinity,” the autonomous system, may be large, but decays exponientially. The existence of a nontrivial solution homoclinic to zero is proven. Many results of this type rely on a monotonicity condition on the nonlinearity, not assumed here, which makes the problem resemble in some sense the special case of homogeneous (power) nonlinearity. The proof employs variational, minimax arguments. In some similar results requiring the monotonicity condition, solutions inhabit a manifold homeomorphic to the …

Simulation Of Engineering Systems Described By High-Index Dae And Discontinuous Ode Using Single Step Methods, Marc Compere

Publications

This dissertation presents numerical methods for solving two classes of or-dinary diferential equations (ODE) based on single-step integration meth-ods. The first class of equations addressed describes the mechanical dynamics of constrained multibody systems. These equations are ordinary differential equations (ODE) subject to algebraic constraints. Accordinly they are called differential-algebraic equations (DAE).

Specific contributions made in this area include an explicit transforma-tion between the Hessenberg index-3 form for constrained mechanical systems to a canonical state-space form used in the nonlinear control communities. A hybrid solution method was developed that incorporates both sliding-mode control (SMC) from the controls literature and post-stabilization from …

An Elliptic Partial Differential Equation With A Symmetrical Almost Periodic Term, Gregory S. Spradlin

Publications

In [STT], a Hamiltonian system of the form (1.0)− u′′+ u= h (t)∇ F (u) was studied, where h is an almost periodic (defined in a moment) function, and F: RN→ R a “superquadratic” potential. That is, F (q) behaves like q to a power greater than 2, with F (q)/| q| 2→ 0 as| q|→ 0 and F (q)/| q| 2→∞ as| q|→∞. For example, F (q)=| q| p− 1q with p> 1 would qualify. The authors found that (1.0) must have a nonzero solution homoclinic to zero. Since this result, many papers (see [CMN],[R1], and [ACM], for example) …

A Singularly Perturbed Elliptic Partial Differential Equation With An Almost Periodic Term, Gregory S. Spradlin

Publications

In [STT], a Hamiltonian system of the form (1. 0)− u+ u= h (t)∇ F (u) was studied, where h is an almost periodic (defined in a moment) function, and F: Rn→ R a “superquadratic” potential. That is, F (q) behaves like q to a power greater than 2, with F (q)/| q| 2→ 0 as| q|→ 0 and F (q)/| q| 2→∞ as| q|→∞. For example, F (q)=| q| p− 1q with p> 1 would qualify. The authors found that (1.0) must have a nonzero solution homoclinic to zero. Since this result, many papers (see [CMN],[R1], and [ACM], for …