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Unified Hamiltonian stability theory

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Abstract

We show that the spectral stability of Hamiltonian equilibria and periodic orbits may be analyzed by the same method. This is accomplished via the Cayley transform, λ=(σ+1)/(σ−1), which maps the unit circle onto the imaginary σ-axis. The advantages and disadvantages of the new method over previous techniques are elucidated.

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Howard, J.E. Unified Hamiltonian stability theory. Celestial Mech Dyn Astr 62, 111–116 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00692082

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00692082

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