Classicalmechanics
Classicalmechanics
Ramesh Kadambi
3
4 CONTENTS
List of Theorems
0.1 Introduction
Classical mechanics is generalization and variational reformulation of Newtonian mechanics. The theory formulates the dynamics
of a system in terms of state variables and and an "action functional". It is observed that the equations of motion result in
trajectories that are stationary points of the systems "action functional". The "action functional" is a function of the state
variables of the system.
Any physical system can be described by the values or certain attributes of the system, Ex: position and velocity of a particle,
the pressure, volume and temperature etc. A physical law describes the evolution of the state of the system over time.
Consider a system with states {q1 , q2 , q3 , q4 , q5 , q6 }. One can consider several dynamic laws dened over these states. Example
L1 = q1 → q2 → q3 → q3 , L2 = q4 → q5 → q6 → q4 . Values can be associated with the states in L1 and L2 and these values are
said to be conserved by the laws L1 and L2 .
Newtons rst two laws relate force to motion of a particle or a system of particles. Infact the rst law can be rolled into the
second law of motion. Newton's second law states that the force acting on a particle accelerates the particle in proportion to its
mass. 2
d x
F =m
dt2
.
A spring mass system that is stretched to a length x has a force kx in the direction opposite to the displacement. Using Newton's
laws the motion of the mass spring system is given as
d2 x
m = −kx.
dt2
The solution to the equation is x(t) = A sin ωt + B cos ωt. Dierentiating we nd
ẋ(t) = Aω cos ωt − Bω sin ωt
. Consider x2 + ω12 ẋ2 = A2 sin2 ωt + B 2 cos2 ωt + 2AB sin ωt cos ωt + A2 cos2 ωt + B 2 sin2 ωt − 2AB sin ωt cos ωt
1 2
x2 + ẋ = A2 + B 2
ω2
5
6 LIST OF THEOREMS
Solving for the constants we have,
ẋ(0)
x(0) = B ẋ(0) = ωA ⇒ A =
ω
Substituting back into our equations of motion we have,
ẋ2 ẋ(0)2
x2 + = x(0)2
+
ω2 ω2
The trajectories in phase space are essentially ellipses.
x2 ẋ(0)2
2
+ 2 2 =1
α α ω
q
where α = x(0)2 + ẋ(0)
2
ω2