Jumping oscillator

Abstract

It is shown that a lagrangian system whose Legendre transformation degenerates along a hypersurface behaves in a strange manner by jumping from time to time without any ''visible cause''. In such a jump the system changes instantaneously its coordinates as well as its momenta. The mathematical dscription of the phenomenon is based on the theory of impact, refraction and reflection developed by one of the authors and the observation that a hamiltonian vector field, understood as a relative one, can be associated with any lagrangian, degenerated or not. Necessary elements of the general theory of such systems are reported and a detailed description of a post-relativistic oscillator showing such a behaviour is given.