Hamiltonian

MECHANICS - 4202

FORMULATION
The action integral of a physical system is stationary for
the actual path

Three kind of formulations (equivalent each

other)
Newtons

equation : depend on x-y-z coordinate

Lagrange equation valid for generalized coordinate
Hamiltonian principle refers to no coordinate
action

integral

SIMPLE PENDULUM

NEWTON SOLUTION

LAGRANGIAN

CONFIGURATION SPACE
Generalized coordinates q1,...,qn fully describe
the systems configuration at any moment
an n-dimensional
n dimensional space

Each

point in this space (q1,...,qn) corresponds to

one configuration of the system
Time evolution of the system => A curve in the
configuration space

MONOGENIC
All force are derivable from generalized scalar
potential
Scalar potential may be a function of

Coordinates
Velocities
V l iti
Time

If potential is only a function of coordinate,

then the system is conservative

HAMILTONIAN PRINCIPLE

y
The motion of the system
from time t1 to t2 is such
that the line integral can be expressed as
t2

I = Ldt
t1

where L=T-V, has a stationary values for the actual

path of the motion
Stationary : difference of action integral is zero
(first derivative = 0)

CONDITION FOR LAGRANGE EQUATION

Constraint: Holonomic system
Necessary and sufficient condition for
Lagrange Equation:

I = L(q1 , q2 ,...., qn , q&1 , q& 2 ,..., q& n , t )dt = 0

DERIVATION
J = f ( y1 ( x ); y2 (x ),..., y&1 ( x); y& 2 ( x),...,
) x )dx
y1 ( x, ) = y1 ( x,0) + 1 ( x)
y2 ( x, ) = y2 ( x,0) + 2 ( x)
......

 f yi

f y& i
J
d =
d +
d dx

yi
y& i

1 i
2

2
yi d f
f yi
f yi
1 y&i x dx = y&i 1 x dx y&i dx
1
2

as all curves pass through fixed end point => = 0

 f
d f
yi dx
J =

yi dx y& i
1
2

yi
yi = d
0
Since y variables are independent then the variation (y) are independent

EULER-LAGRANGE
EULER
LAGRANGE DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION

Condition J = 0 => coefficient yi =0

0
f
d f

=0
yi ddx y& i

Solutions represent curves for which the

variation of an integral of the form given in the
following equation vanishes
J = f ( y1 ( x ); y2 (x ),..., y&1 ( x); y& 2 ( x),..., x )dx

HAMILTONIAN >>>> LAGRANGE

2

I = Ldt = L(qi , q&i , t )dt

With coordinate
di t ttransformation
f
ti
x

t
yi

qi
f ( yi , y& i , x ) L(qi , q&i , t )

L d L
= 0,

qi dt q&i

f
d f

=0
yi dx y& i

i = 1,2,3,..., n
Lagrange Equation