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Previous lecture was about

Some applications of Lagrangian and Lagrange Equations

of Motion
Phase Space and Liouville’s Theorem
 Phase Space:

A space of dimensions in which a representative point is

indicated by the coordinates, position coordinates and
momentum coordinates

Such a space is called a dimensional phase space or a

phase space.

Whenever we know the state of a mechanical system at

time i.e., we know all positions and momentum
coordinates, then this corresponds to a particular point in
phase space. Conversely, a point in the phase space
specifies the state of the mechanical system.
 Liouville’s Theorem:

The dimensional volumes of and are the same, or if we

define the number of points per unit volume as the density,
then the density remains the same.

Proof (for the case of one degree of freedom):

Consider a mechanical system as being described in terms of

the motion of representative points through an element of
volume in phase space. In such a case we have two
dimensional space phase space and the volume element
reduces to the area element
 Letbe the density of the representative points, i.e., the
number of representative points per unit area as
obtained by an appropriate limiting procedure. Since the
speed with which representative points enter through is
the number of representative points which enter
through per unit time is

The number of representative points which leave

through is

Thus the number of points which remains in the element

is
 Similarly
number of points which enter through and
leaves through are respectively

Thus the number of points which remains in the

element is

The increase in representative points are

 Since this is equal to thus

Or

Now by Hamilton’s Equations

Or

Which shows that density in the phase space is constant

and proves Liouville’s theorem.
 GeneralCase:
The element of volume in space is

 The increase of representative points in this element is

This increase is equal to thus

 
 Hamilton’s equations for are

Thus it becomes

or density is constant.
 Hamiltonian:

Consider a phase space of coordinates, position

coordinates and momentum coordinates

The Hamiltonian function can be defined in terms of

Lagrangian as

must be function of generalized coordinates and

generalized momenta Then
 Also

By comparing both differentials

These equations are called the Hamilton’s Equations

of motion.
 Note:

The Hamiltonian

has the same value as h:

the energy function of the phase space.

 Construction of Hamiltonian:

Write a chosen set of generalized coordinates , the

Lagrangian is constructed.

The conjugate momenta are defined as functions of and .

Construct the Hamiltonian.

Find the values of

With the help of eliminate these values from the

Hamiltonian.
 Construction of Hamiltonian
 Example: Construct the Hamiltonian for planar motion of a
particle with central force potential. Also find Hamilton’s
Equations.

Solution:
 
 Hamilton’s Equations are:
 Example:
Construct Hamiltonian and find Hamilton’s Equations for a
particle of mass m moving in a force field with a potential in
a) Plane Polar Coordinates
b) Cylindrical Coordinates
c) Spherical Polar Coordinates

Solution:
For plane polar coordinates
Lagrangian is
Hamiltonian is
The End