Variational Principles in Classical Mechanics

Third edition by Douglas Cline (University of Rochester).

This MyST edition is a web-native conversion of the open textbook hosted at the University of Rochester River Campus Libraries, using the structured LibreTexts edition for text and mathematics and the author PDF for reference.

Source and license¶

© Douglas Cline (2017–2021), ISBN 978-0-9988372-3-9. Licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

Suggested citation: Cline, D. (2021). Variational Principles in Classical Mechanics (3rd ed.). University of Rochester River Campus Libraries.

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Table of contents¶

• Variational Principles in Classical Mechanics
• Preface
• Prologue
• 1. A brief History of Classical Mechanics
• 2. Review of Newtonian Mechanics
• 3. Linear Oscillators
• 4. Nonlinear Systems and Chaos
• 5. Calculus of Variations
• 6. Lagrangian Dynamics
• 7. Symmetries, Invariance and the Hamiltonian
• 8. Hamiltonian Mechanics
• 9. Hamilton's Action Principle
• 10. Nonconservative Systems
• 11. Conservative two-body Central Forces
• 12. Non-inertial Reference Frames
• 13. Rigid-body Rotation
• 14. Coupled Linear Oscillators
• 15. Advanced Hamiltonian Mechanics
• 16. Analytical Formulations for Continuous Systems
• 17. Relativistic Mechanics
• 18. The Transition to Quantum Physics
• 19. Mathematical Methods for Classical Mechanics
• Closing
  • Epilogue
  • Glossary
  • Errata