Analytical Mechanics

Lesson 1: Constraints and

Generalized Coordinates
Before We Begin….
 Mathematical and Physical
Prerequisites
Math:
-Algebra
-Single Variable Calculus(From Stewart,
Anton, et al.)
-Multivariate Calculus(From Apostle,
Spivak)
-Vector Calculus( Marsden/Tromba, Apostle,
Spivak)

Physics:
General Physics(Tipler, Young/freedman, et
al. )
Newton’s Mechanics(Kleppner, Gregory, et
al.)
Book Recommendations

Undergraduate:
1. Mechanics: From Newton’s Laws to
Deterministic
Chaos -Scheck
2. Classical Mechanics-Gregory
3. Analytical Mechanics-Hand, Finch

Reference/Graduate:
9. Classical Dynamics: A Contemporary
Approach-Jose, Saletan
10.Mathematical Methods in Classical
Mechanics- Arnold
11.Classical Mechanics-Goldstein
 DEFINITION: A holonomic constraint of
motion is a set of Equations in the form

n= # of particles
Example:
Circular pendulum in
Rod length= R = constant.
Holonomic Constraint

Example:
Rigid body in
Distances between
particles=constant
Constraint=
If the constraint equations depends explicitly
on time, then it is known as rheonomic. If it
does not, then it is known as scleronomic.

Example: The pendulum is a scleronomic

constraint. However, if the pivot of the
pendulum was fixed on a moving cart(that
can only move on the x-axis) then it is
rheonomic.

Holonomic constraint:
(2)

m(t)= horizontal motion of cart.

h=height of the cart.
THEOREM: For holonomic constraint
equations and N particles in , the
positions(also known as the configuration)
can be described in another coordinate
system with a dimension of 3N- .

PROOF: For each holonomic constraint

added,

We can solve one “x” in terms of the rest

which means the coordinates are
dependent. Let us make an invertible
coordinate substitution
For , we could set

(Example: For N=2 and 3 constraint

equations,

Since , the last coordinates are zero

which means we do not have to consider
them.

The set of coordinates, are known as

generalized coordinates.
Example: Let us reconsider the case of the
two dimensional pendulum. The constraint is(
again)

Therefore, we may set

can NOT be since it does NOT specify

a unique position in the set of possible
configurations( also known as the
configuration manifold), instead the common
choice(polar coordinates) is