This is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art, treatise on the energetic mechanics of Lagrange and Hamilton, that is, classical analytical dynamics, and its principal applications to constrained systems (contact, rolling, and servoconstraints). It is a book on advanced dynamics from a unified viewpoint, namely, the kinetic principle of virtual work, or principle of Lagrange. As such, it continues, renovates, and expands the grand tradition laid by such mechanics masters as Appell, Maggi, Whittaker, Heun, Hamel, Chetaev, Synge, Pars, Luré, Gantmacher, Neimark, and Fufaev. Many completely solved examples complement the theory, along with many problems (all of the latter with their answers and many of them with hints). Although written at an advanced level, the topics covered in this 1400-page volume (the most extensive ever written on analytical mechanics) are eminently readable and inclusive. It is of interest to engineers, physicists, and mathematicians; advanced undergraduate and graduate students and teachers; researchers and professionals; all will find this encyclopedic work an extraordinary asset; for classroom use or self-study. In this edition, corrections (of the original edition, 2002) have been incorporated.
Sample Chapter(s)
Introduction (753 KB)
Contents:
- Introduction
- Background: Basic Concepts and Equations of Particle and Rigid-Body Mechanics
- Kinematics of Constrained Systems
- Kinetics of Constrained Systems
- Impulsive Motion
- Nonlinear Nonholonomic Constraints
- Differential Variational Principles, and Associated Generalized Equations of Motion of Nielsen, Tsenov, et al.
- Time-Integral Theorems and Variational Principles
- Introduction to Hamiltonian/Canonical Methods: Equations of Hamilton and Routh; Canonical Formalism
Readership: Students and researchers in engineering, physics, and applied mathematics.
“A monumental treatise … which is going to become a reference book on the subject … It should not be missed by anybody working in the area of analytical dynamics or only wanting to understand major problems of the subject … This landmark reference source … [is] the most comprehensive exposition available of the advanced engineering-oriented dynamics.”
Zentralblatt für Math.
“This unique treatise should be part of every scientific library and scholarly collection in engineering science.”
IEEE Control Systems Magazine
“I recommend without hesitation Prof Papastravridis' treatise as a reference source to be acquired by every library of Mathematics, Physics, or Mechanical/Aeronautical/Electrical Engineering department. It is a different book, especially in our Internet era where instant satisfaction is often the primary (sometimes sole) goal of the student or researcher. Putting together 1392 (!!) pages of carefully prepared text and 172 figures (which then become somehow sparse) represents a major effort, to say the least.”
Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society
“Recipient of the annual competition award, in engineering, of the Association of American Publishers.”
The Outstanding Professional and Scholarly Titles of 2002 (March 2003)
“Unique in Contents and Perspective … has no Competition in Depth and Breadth.”
Dr George Simitses
Professor of Engineering Science, Mechanics, and Aerospace Engineering
University of Cincinatti and Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
“Probably the best of its kind and likely to become standard reference.”
Dr Alex Dalgarno
FRS, member of US National Academy of Sciences, and “father of molecular astrophysics” and
Phillips Professor of Astronomy, Harvard University, and Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, USA
“The reviewer shares the author's statement that this book with its almost 1,400 pages is unique among the comparable treatises in the breadth and the depth of the covered material. Regarding technicalities — the students and the young scientists will find a lot of interesting examples and solved up to their very end problems. I recommend you to read this special book in analytical mechanics. It is a useful tool to undergraduate and graduate students, professors and researchers in the area of applied mechanics, engineering science, and mechanical, aerospace, and structural engineering, as well for the physicists and applied mathematicians.”
Journal of Geometry and Symmetry in Physics
