Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Lagrangian dynamics; 2. Hamilton's variational principle; 3. Kinematics of rotational motion; 4. Dynamics of rigid bodies; 5. Small oscillations; 6. Relativistic mechanics; 7. Hamiltonian dynamics; 8. Canonical transformations; 9. The Hamilton-Jacobi theory; 10. Hamiltonian perturbation theory; 11. Classical field theory; Appendix A. Indicial notation; Appendix B. Frobenius integrability condition; Appendix C. Homogeneous functions and Euler's theorem; Appendix D. Vector spaces and linear operators; Appendix E. Stability of dynamical systems; Appendix F. Exact differentials; Appendix G. Geometric phases; Appendix H. Poisson manifolds; Appendix I. Decay rate of fourier coefficients; References; Index.

Promotional Information

An introduction to the basic principles and methods of analytical mechanics, with selected examples of advanced topics and areas of ongoing research.

About the Author

Nivaldo A. Lemos is Associate Professor of Physics at Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil. He was previously a visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His main research areas are quantum cosmology, quantum field theory and the teaching of classical mechanics.

Reviews

'The greatest strength of the book is that it starts with minimal knowledge and then takes the student very carefully into the modern concepts. The background required is a basic knowledge in classical dynamics and differential equations, with the other usual basic mathematics courses. By the end of the book the student is prepared for the advanced topics of modern geometric mechanics ... I highly recommend this book as an advanced undergraduate text in mathematics, physics or engineering.' Thomas J. Bridges, Contemporary Physics
'The contents cover the most relevant topics for an advanced undergraduate course on analytical mechanics, enlarged by a selection of topics of interest for graduate students and researchers. The chapter structure and subject sequence is carefully chosen, rendering a constructive and pedagogical approach.' Cesar Rodrigo, MathsSciNet
'The greatest strength of the book is that it starts with minimal knowledge and then takes the student very carefully into the modern concepts. The background required is a basic knowledge in classical dynamics and differential equations, with the other usual basic mathematics courses. By the end of the book the student is prepared for the advanced topics of modern geometric mechanics ... I highly recommend this book as an advanced undergraduate text in mathematics, physics or engineering.' Thomas J. Bridges, Contemporary Physics
'The contents cover the most relevant topics for an advanced undergraduate course on analytical mechanics, enlarged by a selection of topics of interest for graduate students and researchers. The chapter structure and subject sequence is carefully chosen, rendering a constructive and pedagogical approach.' Cesar Rodrigo, MathsSciNet