Solving the Spinning Top

John Schutkeker
NLM Physics Corp.
June 7, 2016
The closed form solution is found for the fully nonlinear dynamics of the gyroscope with
a fixed point at the tip. The solution is found by using Cardanos formulae to factor a
cubic, in the case where all roots are know to be real. From this, the nutation angle is
solved first in terms of Jacobis elliptic integral of the first kind. A simple change of
variables then transforms the dependent variable of the remaining equations from time to
the projection of the nutation angle onto the vertical axis. After this transformation, the
remaining equations can be integrated exactly, giving solutions expressed in Jacobis
elliptic integrals of the third kind. Reduced energy, angular momentum and moment of
inertia are defined.

1) Introduction
Ginsburg [1] has observed that the top can be solved with elliptic integrals, and
MacMillan [2] has implemented the beginnings of the closed form solution, with a
graphical discussion of the necessity of solving the cubic equation. Sussman and
Wisdom [6] observed that, because they are of first order only, the equations are
solvable in closed form, and Goldstein [7] has observed that the solutions will be
elliptic integrals.
This paper uses Cardanos formulae to factor Ginsbergs cubic equation and uses that
result to integrate the equation of motion and find the closed form dynamics, in terms
of elliptic integrals of the first and third kind [3].

Figure 1 Geometry of the gyroscope

2) Dynamics
Euler Angles
As shown in Fig. 1, the orientation in space of any solid body, including the spinning
top, is described by three Euler angles. For a top, these angles are

- Tilt Angle (Pitch)

- Precession Angle (Yaw)
- Spin Angle (Roll)
Of course, the roll, pitch and yaw analogy to an airplane is not perfect, because the
vehicle would be standing on its nose or tail and spinning rapidly.
ODE for Tile Angle
The starting point of this derivation is Ginsbergs ODE [1] for the time evolution of
the tilt angle, . This analysis picks up where Ginsbergs ended, with redefinition of
his variables into more completely reduced parameters. Ginsbergs equation is
u&2 ( l u )(1 u 2 ) ( u 2 ),

(1)

where o and o are the initial values of angular speed in the and directions,
with units of angular speed [3], and the tilt angle is projected onto the vertical axis by
making the change of variables u=cos.
The various parameters in this equation are defined as follows: the reduced energy, ,
is given by

E I 2
,
I IP

(2)

and the reduced angular momentum, , is defined as

l

2mgL
.
I

(3)

Later in this paper, these parameters will be reduced second time, meaning that we
refer to this step as the first reduction step, and that these parameters are said to be
singly reduced. Of course, I || and I are the respective moments of inertia parallel

and perpendicular to the spin axis, and E and L are the total energy and angular
momentum, respectively, as usual in mechanics.
Expanding Ginsbergs equation into a cubic gives
2

u 1

l
l

u&2 u 3 u 2

(4)

It is shown how to factor the cubic in 3, which we skip for the moment, to find the
actual solution.
Tilt Angle Solution
Ginsberg has observed that it is possible to isolate the independent and dependent
variables (u and t, respectively). Doing that and factoring the cubic gives
dt

du
(u u1 )(u u2 )(u u3 )

(5)

with u1, u2, and u3 ranked in decreasing order of magnitude, ie. u1 > u2 > u3.
The ODE has been reduced to an integral, and integrated to give
t

du
2

F ( , p ),
(u u1 )(u u2 )(u u3 )
u1 u3

(6)

with F(,p) is Jacobis elliptic integral of the first kind [2], defined as
F , p

1 p 2 sin 2

(7)

with parameters

sin 1

u1 u3
,
u1 u

(8)

and
u1 u2
.
u1 u3

(9)

Change of Variables
Ginsbergs ODEs [1] for the precession and spin angles are
d cos

,
dt
sin 2

(10)

2
2
d ( I sin cos ) cos

,
dt
sin 2

(11)

where the reduced moment of inertia, I I / I P , has been defined.

These last two equations are simplified by using the chain rule to apply the change of
variables, u cos ,
d d / dt

,
du du / dt

(12)

where du/dt is obtained from the original ODE for ,

du
(u u1 )(u u2 )(u u3 ).
dt

(13)

The transformed ODEs for and are then

u
d

2
du (1 u ) (u u1 )(u u2 )(u u3 )

(14)

u ( u )

d
1

du
(1 u 2 )
(u u1 )(u u2 )(u u3 )

(15)

Precession Angle
Directly integrating the ODE for the precession angle gives

(u )

1
u3 u1

where

u1 1 u1 1

(16)

 u 1
1
, , 2 ,
p
u3 u1

(17)

and n, x, m is Jacobis elliptic integral of the third kind [3], defined as

n, x, m

dx

1 n sin

( x) 1 m sin 2 ( x)

(18)

with

sin 1

(u1 u2 )
.
(u1 u )

(19)

Spin Angle
Directly integrating the ODE for the spin angle gives

(u )

2 I
u1 u3

2u1 ( u1 ) F (u1 1)( ) m

(u 1) u2 u1
2
1

(20)

and from Eq. 6, we see that the first term is just the familiar advance in rotational
angle from the spin of the top.
2 I
u1 u3

F I t.

(21)

3) Cubic Equation
To prepare Ginsbergs equation for factoring, write it as
a a u a u2 u3 0,

(22)

2
2
where a / l , a / l , , a 1 / l , and the order of the

subscripts on a is unimportant. These parameters are all energies, and energy is

normalized according to a =/ .

This reduces the number of control variables from four (, , , ) to three (a, a,
a), by eliminating angular momentum.
Cardanos Formulae
Cardanos Formulae [4] define the following terms,
2

a
Q
,
3 3
a

(23)

and
3

a
R
.
2
2 3 3

(24)

D Q3 R 2 .

(25)

a a

D is a discriminant, given by

Real Roots
Since u=cos() represents an actual angle of tilt, complex solutions are unphysical
and can be discarded a priori. This occurs when D<0, and the factoring becomes
uniquely simple in this case. That cubic must always have two critical points, and it
will never exhibit an A2 catastrophe [5].
For real roots, Cardano gives

R
,
3/2
( Q)

Cos 1

(26)

and if we define the ordered sequence, j{-1,0,1}, we can write the three roots as
uj

a2
2 Qcos ( j ),
3

(27)

where j2j /3.

The formula for the cosine of a sum gives
cos( j )

| j|
3
cos() j
sin().
2
2

Combining this with the discriminant and the expression for cos() gives
6

(28)

uj

a
3

1
| j | R j 3 D .
Q

(29)

Putting in the expressions for R, Q and D, and defining xR/Q gives

a
u j x | j | j 3(1 Q / x 2 ) .
3

(30)

Note that the previous three control parameters (a, a, a) have been replaced by
three different control variables (a, Q, x).
Sorting the Roots
The roots must be sorted, to map uj from 3 onto {u1, u2, u3} from 2. This is a small,
but extremely messy and quite annoying technical detail that will not be done in this
paper.
Domains of Precession
Ginsberg [1] has shown that u3>1, which is also unphysical, because u is a cosine.
This means that, although u3 appears as a term in the elliptic integrals, domains of
precession are governed only by u1 and u2. Ginsberg also defines u* / , to
define the domains. The domains are
Unidirectional
Looping
Cuspidial

(u1 or u2) < u*

u1 < u* < u2
u* = u2

4) Conclusion
We have derived the closed for solution to the dynamical equations of the spinning top,
written in terms of the three Euler angles. This procedure is as follows,
1) Factor Ginsbergs cubic equation with Cardanos formulae.
2) Solve the nutation angle in terms of Jacobis elliptic integral of the first kind,
F(t).
3) Reduce the number of control parameters was from four to three by defining the
normalized energy, angular momentum, and moment of inertia.
4) Change the dependent variable from time to nutation angle in the differential
equations for the precession and spin angles.

5) Solve for the precession and spin angles in terms of Jacobis elliptic integrals of
the third kind, (n,x,m).
6) Write the domains of precession in terms of the new parameters.

Bibliography
[1] Ginsberg, J. H., Advanced Engineering Dynamics, Cambridge University Press,
2nd ed., 1998.
[2] MacMillan, W. D., Dynamics of Rigid Bodies, Dover Press, 1936.
[3] Bradbury, T. C., Theoretical Mechanics, Wiley, 1968.
[4] Press, et al, Numerical Recipes, Cambridge University Press, 1st ed., 1986.
[5] Gilmore, R., Catastrophe Theory for Scientists and Engineers, Dover Press, 1981.
[6] Sussman G. J. and Wisdom, J., Structure and Interpretation of Classical
Mechanics, MIT Press, 1st ed., 2001.
[7] Goldstein, H. Classical Mechanics, 2nd ed., Addison-Wesley, 1980.