MECHANICS RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS Vol. 9(5),317-323,1982.

Printed in the U S A
0093-6413/82/050317-07503.00/0 Copyright (c) Pergamon Press Ltd

SPACE-TIME FORMULATION OF HAMILTON'S LAW

H.H.E. Leipholz
Department of Civil Engineering, Solid Mechanics Division
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3GI

(Received 22 February 1982; accepted for print 19 April 1982)

Introduct] on

The Lagrangian formulation for continuous systems is well established [I] and
has been used extensively for stability investigations in [2]. However,
there, and also in the classical application of Lagrange's technique to mass
point systems, time t as a variable has always been allowed to play an excep-
tional rSle. In this way, conciseness and symmetry of the formalism has been
affected. Yet, in the view of modern physics, we live in a four-dimensional
space-time world, in which t is just another one of the four coordinates of
that world. Therefore, a space-time interpretation of Hamilton's law will be
a t t e m p t e d h e r e , u s i n g t h e c o n c e p t o f functional derivatives. In t h i s i n t e r -
pretation, t falls into line with the spatial coordinates. Since the appli-
c a t i o n o f t h e f u n c t i o n a l d e r i v a t i v e c o n c e p t i s v e r y handy f o r example f o r the
t r e a t m e n t o f p l a t e p r o b l e m s , t h i s a t t e m p t may f i n d some i n t e r e s t in e n g i n e e r -
ing s c i e n c e .

Hamilton's Law Differently Interpreted

The common definition of the functional derivative of the Lagrangian

L : Vf LdV, L : L(w,~,wxk,WXiXk), (1)

is

6L _ ~L
3
~ d ~L +_
II d2L - - + ~
33d2
~ dxidXk ~
L 1
6W(sp) ~w k = 1 dXk ~Wx k 2 =1 dx 2 ~w x i x .I i = l k=l x .Ix k

where V is the volume of the elastic body, w = W(Xk,t) its deflection, x k are
the spatial coordinates, t is the time, and ~ denotes Sw/St, wxk = ~w/Sx k,
WXiXk - ~2w/~xi~x k. The subscript (SP) on the left side of (2) indicates
that the operation is carried out solely with respect to the spatial coor-
dinates.

317
318 H.H.E. LEIPHOLZ

Using (2), Lagrange's equations for a continuum is well known to assume the
form
{~L d 3L
- - - O. (3)
6w (Sp) dt 3~
Although (3) is a l r e a d y f a i r l y c o n c i s e , time t is not yet p r o p e r l y i n t e g r a t e d
in the formalism. T h e r e f o r e , a p r o p o s a l to i n t r o d u c e a s p a c e - t i m e formula-
t i o n has been made as f o l l o w s : Set
¢k = Xk for k = 1,2,3 and ¢k = t for k = 4. (4)

Then, eq. (2) can be rewritten to read

8L
6w(SPT) _ 3L
43w ~ d + i2 ~ ! d2 ~ 3L 4~ 4 d d2 3w3L ti
k : l ct~1 3L
3w d~ 3w +
' ~k 1 ~i~i i=l k=l ~id~k ~i~k 5)

In (5), the third term on the right side vanishes for i = 4, and/or k = 4 by
virtue of the fact that L does not involve ~Xk, k = 1,2,3, and ~. Moreover,
tile subscript (SPT) on the left side of (5) is meant to indicate that the
operation is to be carried out in the space-time world.

Comparing (5) with (3) and observing (2) yields

6L 6L d 3L
6-7(SPT) = 6~--7(Sp) dt 3~ (6)
Hence, u s i n g (6) in (3), c a s t s Lagrange's e q u a t i o n s i n t o t h e i r s h o r t e s t form,
i.e.,
6L
= 0. (7)
6w (SPT)

The p r i n c i p l e of v i r t u a l work leads to the i d e n t i t y

f tl f (6L dat 3~v

3L 1 6wdVdt = 0. (8)
t o V 7~-(SP)
By means of (7), i t assumes t h e form
t1
f f ~-~ 6wdVdt : 0. (9)
to V (SPT)
Let the volume ~ be introduced in the space-time world which is the cylinder
(prism) having V as upper and lower "cross-sections" and generators parallel
to the t-axis of length tl-t 0. Consequently, eq. (9) can be changed into

6L
f 6--w-( 6wd~ = 0. (10)
SPT)
However, the identity
 SPACE-TIME FORMULATION OF H A M I L T O N ' S LAW 319

sL -~-
(SPT)
6wdf2 = f 6t(SPT) da + f
~ V
I T]t
- -~-6w
to
dV (11)

holds true, which is obtained applying the integral theorm of Gauss and inte-
gration by parts with respect to t to the left side of (ll). It may be noted
that surface integrals following from using the integral theorem of Gauss are
assumed to vanish, as w is supposed to satisfy all boundary conditions. More-
over, the fact has been used in (ii) that

1 ~L ~Y p~, (12)
T = -~- p~2, ~)w __- ~w =
and that ~L is defined as
(SPT)
4
6L (SPT) = ~L ~w + ~ ~w~L 6 w + . . . . (13)
k=1 Ck k
Using (11) in (10) y i e l d s Hamilton's law in space-time formulation, i.e.,

f 6L(sPr)da = f
Q V
[_ --=3w?r6w
tI
dV.

Since (-~r/~#)~w is the virtual work density of the impulses in "space", i.e.,
on the cross-sections V of the space-time volume ~, Hamilton's law can be
interpreted on the basis of (14) as follows:
"The variation of the total Lagrangial L(SPT ) = !L(sPT)d~ contained in
the world cylinder ~ is equal to the change in virtual work content

~ (-~T/~)6wdV of the impulses which occurs when moving from the

initial cross-section V at t = t 0 of the world cylinder ~ to its
terminal cross-section V at t = tl."
This version of Hamilton's law seems to imply some kind of generalized "div-
ergence" law for the energy flow in space-time.

It happens occasionally, for example in the case of the elastic system being
in a steady-state motion, that the length tl-t 0 of the world cyclinder ~ can
be chosen so that the difference of the virtual work content of the impulses
from initial cross-section to terminal cross-section becomes zero. Then,
(14) changes into

f gL(sPT)da = 0, d~L(sPT)d~ = 0, dL(sPT ) = 0, (is)

respectively. This is H a m i l t o n ' s principle, which says t h a t

" t h e t o t a l L a g r a n g i a n L(SPT
). c o n t a i n e d in t h e world c y c l i n d e r ~ is
stationary".
320 H.H.E. LEIPHOLZ

It is noticeable that Hamilton's principle turns out to be only' a special

case of the otherwise generally applicable Hamilton's law, i.e., generally
applicable to conservative systems. Although this fact should be quite
clear, it is unfortunately frequently overlooked in numerical applications as
C.D. Bailey has pointed out in [3].

Application of the Space-Time Formalism to Discrete Systems

The space-time formalism is specifically handy for continuous systems. Yet,

in order to let its generality become fully apparent, let it be shown that it
can also be applied to discrete systems.

Consider a system of n mass-points being located at t = t O in space by

0
r . = [x i~( t 0 ) , x 2J(t0)'xO~(t0)]'~ j = 1 ' 2, " .. ' n, where x.1' i = 1,2,3 ' are
~3
Cartesian coordinates. At t i m e t , t h e s y s t e m i s l o c a t e d in s p a c e by r . =
< -O
[ x '1 ( t ) , x ° 2 ( t ) , x J 3 ( t ) ] , j = 1,2 . . . . . n . C o n s i d e r r ~ , j : 1,2 . . . . . n, a s t h e ref-
erence position. Then, the displacement of the system is given by
d. = [x~(t) - x.3(t0)] i = 1,2 3, j = 1 2 .... n,
~J 1 ' ' ' '

d. = d [x~(t0) t] i = 1,2 3, j = 1,2, . n, (16)

-J j . . . . . .
respectively. Using dj, the Lagrangian LJ may be determined, which is then
used to set up the principle of virtual work as

5 n (~LJ(tk) ~LJ(tk) 1 .
~ ~ . d =---~x3 i = 0. (17)
k=li=lj=l Sx~ ( t k ) dt ~ ( t k )

Going w i t h the partition of the t interval to the limit, and u s i n g the Dirac
function D(x i - x~) in order to transform t h e sum o v e r j i n t o an i n t e g r a l
over a fictitious v o l u m e V, one can c h a n g e (17) into

tl f ~3 i (SL d ~/ ] ~xiD(x i x! dVdt = 0. (18)

• -~x i
t o V i=l j=l d t ~k i 1

Introduce the following identities:

x{ = uJ, = vJ, x% = wJ (19)

Then, for example, for i = 3,

~wJ/~X J =- ~xJ/~X~ = 83k, etc., (20)

and the quantities

 SPACE-TIME FORMULATION OF H A M I L T O N ' S LAW 32]

aLJ/sw~ k j z a(63k)
aLJ , etc., are n o t d e f i n e d . (21)

By v i r t u e o f (21), the functional derivative, f o r example f o r wj , degenerates

into

~L j _ ~L j d ~LJ]-. d i ~ + ... (22)

6w j ~w j dt a~ j ~ k SWOxJk
(SPT)
For t h e sake o f b r e v i t y , l e t the f o l l o w i n g c o n s i d e r a t i o n s be l i m i t e d to i = 3,
which i s no r e s t r i c t i o n of generality. Then, (18) becomes

tI n [(aL d S_] 6wD(w-wJ)]dVdt : 0 (23)

f f ~ -~ dt
t O V j=l
Applying (22) to (23) yields

f f ~ GL
%-4- dwD(w - w j) dVdt = 0. (24)
to V j=l (SPT)
At t h i s p o i n t , it is claimed that, in a n a l o g y to (11), the r e l a t i o n s h i p

f
to
tznI ; ~
V j=l
6L
(SPT)
6wD(w- w j)
1 dVdt = f
to
f X
V j=l
[ dL(sPT)D(w - wj) ] dVdt

+ f ~ - ~-~ &w D(W - wj) t l d v (2s)

V j=l to
holds true. This assertion will be proved later.

Using (25) in (24) and introducing the volume ~ in the space-time world yields

f ~
j=l
n[ 8L(sPT)'D(w - wj) ] da = f
V
hi<
j=l
- %-ff ~w
)
-D(w - )
to

t1
dr. (26)

As this equation corresponds fully to Hamilton's law (14), all what had been
said before about a continuous system in space-time with respect to Hamilton's
law holds true for a discrete system as well.

Let finally relationship (25) be shown to be correct. For e v e r y mass p o i n t

and each o f the c o o r d i n a t e s , Newton's second law y i e l d s

~L j d 3L j
- - = O, (27)
ax! dt ~O
1 1

Hence,

<: d (2S)
~x! at t6~o" 1
1 1

Yet,
322 H.H.E. LEIPHOLZ

3Li - _
,) (TJ t1-1)~ _5_
" T j
: :) mJ 1 (=9)
1 l 1 1

Therefore, (28) becomes

aL "! 6x.i = d (m j ~ ! 6x J.
Dx-! ]Y "
1

an identity, which can step by" step be changed into

3LJ~ 6x~ = -dtd i.j i

- (m-xidx]) - mj2j.6x:.i
~-~x~ 1 ]
1
= ddt ( m J x i 6 x l ) - 6 E~ m J ( x l ) ~

= d (mjRJ. 6xj.) _ dT j (30)

dt 1 1 "
Noreover,

D L J = - ~LIJ mJ~ j = ~TJ (31)

1 1 1

Using (31) in (30), one has a f t e r some r e a r r a n g i n g

dt .~J

Integrating in (32) with r e s p e c t to t y i e l d s

f 6LJdt = . (33)
to L ~x~] 1 to

Setting i = 3, xJ = wJ and summing in (33) with respect to j results in

3
tl n n [I ] ] tl
f f ~ [6L'D(w - wJ)]dVdt = f ~ a--~Y6w "D(w - wj) dV. (34)
to V j=l V j=l L~ tO
This relationship is identical with (26), thus, confirming the correctness o~
that previous relationship, q.e.d.

As a last remark, let it be mentioned that (26) can also be brought into a
form corresponding to Hamilton's principle. This happens if t = t I and
t = t O can be chosen so that the right side in (26) vanishes. Then,
n n

f ~, [6L(sPT)-D(w - wJ)]d~ = 6 f ~ [L(sPT)'D(w - wJ)]d~; = 0

~] j=] ~2 j=l
and
 SPACE-TIME FORMULATION OF H A M I L T O N ' S LAW 323

6L(sPT ) = O, where L(SPT ) = f ~. [I(SPT ) • D (w - wJ)]d~.

j=l

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by NSERC Grant No. A7297, which is gratefully
acknowledged.

References

[1] Goldstein, H., Classical Mechanics, Addison-Wesley Publ. Comp., Inc.,

Reading, Mass.-Palo Alto-London-Dallas-Atlanta, 7th printing, 1965,
p.p. 350-355; 2nd edition, Reading, Mass.-Menlo Park, Ca., -London-
Amsterdam-Don Mills, Ont.-Sydney, 1980, p.p. 548-552.
[2] Leipholz, H., Direct Variational Methods and Eigenvalue Problems in
Engineering, Noordhoff Int. Publ. Leyden, The Netherlands, 1977.
[3] Bailey, C.D., On a More Precise Statement of Hamilton's Principle,
Found. of Physics ll, 1981, p.p. 279-296.