A conjugate point test determining an index of the constrained second variation in one-dimensional isoperimetric calculus of variations problems is described. The test is then implemented numerically to determine stability properties of equilibria within a continuum mechanics model of DNA minicircles.

Nonlinear problems arising in modeling applications are frequently parameter dependent, so that families of solutions are of interest. Such problems naturally lend themselves to interactive computation that exploits parameter continuation methods combined with visualization techniques. Visualization provides both understanding of the solution set and feedback for computational steering. We describe various issues that have arisen in our investigations of problems of this general type.