Autonomous second-order ODEs: a geometric approach

Abstract: Given an autonomous second-order ordinary differential equation (ODE), we define a Riemannian metric on an open subset of the first-order jet bundle. A relationship is established between the solutions of the ODE and the geodesic curves with respect to the defined metric. We introduce the notion of energy foliation for autonomous ODEs, and highlight its connection to the classical energy concept. Additionally, we explore the geometry of the leaves of the foliation. Finally, the results are applied to the analysis of Lagrangian mechanical systems. In particular, we provide an autonomous Lagrangian for the damped harmonic oscillator.