PROBLEM SET 3 COMMENTS - SPRING 2003

Of course, you know that the Problem Set is due next Monday, which
looks to be March 3.
In lecture today (February 26), Nergis used a lot of "Physics Math"
language, which should not be alarming.  Nothing you might have seen
in 18.03 or 18.06 should prevent you from doing 8.03 in fine form.

   Problem 3.1(a):  Depending on the quality of your printer, you might
   not be able to discern the "shaded box" to the left of the figure.
   The online version is quite clear.

   Problem 3.1(c):  If you're going to be Course XVIII, you'll get
   used to a slightly different terminology.  Some of us would call
   the frequencies "eigenfrequencies", which makes a whole lot of
   since.  The use of the term "eigenmodes" is more common, and you
   should get used to identifying the modes and the frequencies
   simultaneously.

   If you're used to doing eigenstuff, you'll know what the comment at
   the end of 3.1(c) means;  for any linear systems, we can determine
   the ratio of the amplitudes, but not the absolute values.  As
   Nergis said repeatedly today (February 26), the response of any
   system depends on the initial conditions.

   In 3.1(e), you're asked to make plots of modes where the
   frequencies are only known symbolically.  Deal with it.  As done in
   lecture February 26, you'll get two frequencies, one clearly higher
   than the other.

   For 3.2, it would help greatly to draw a figure.  If you copied the
   figure from the February 26 lecture, you're almost done with this
   problem.