Structure and Interpretation of Classical Mechanics (SICM) is a classical mechanics textbook written by Gerald Jay Sussman and Jack Wisdom with Meinhard E. Mayer. It was published by MIT Press in 2001. The book (ISBN 0-262-19455-4) is used at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to teach a class in advanced classical mechanics, starting with Lagrange's equations and proceeding through canonical perturbation theory.
SICM explains some physical phenomena by showing computer programs for simulating them. These programs are written in the Scheme programming language, as were the programs in Sussman's earlier computer science textbook, Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs.
Sussman wrote:
The entire text is freely available online from the publisher's website.
Father thanks for playin' with my friends and me
I'm glad they got to meet the man I know
You always knew the words and taught me honesty
Picked me up when I was feeling low
If I could talk to you one more time
I know you'd work things out just like before
Where did I go wrong can you hear me sing this song?
Father I won't see you anymore
Mother dry your eyes why do you cry those tears?
You knew someday your baby'd be a man
Letting go is hard when it's for ever dear
I know it's late, but now I understand
If I could hold your hand one more time
And hear your lullabies just like before
I know that I did wrong, so I'm singing you this song
Mother, I won't see you anymore
Son, I wish you knew how much we're missin' you
I saw them cry their tears from up above
I try to tell them, but the words aren't getting through
I didn't mean to hurt the ones I love
Mother, Father, I hope to see you soon
And things will be just like they were before
I'm sending all my love, I'm watching from above