The General Method for Finding Normal Mode Frequencies,
Matrices, Eigenvectors and Eigenvalues
We have just seen that when a coupled system oscillates in a single normal mode each
component of the system will vibrate with frequency of that mode. This allows us to adopt
a method which will always yield the values of the normal mode frequencies and the
relative amplitudes of the individual oscillators at each frequency.
Suppose that our system of coupled pendulums in the last section oscillates in only one
of its normal modes of frequency !.
Then, in the equations of motion