A geometric unification of constrained system dynamics (Q1371481)

Nonholonomic constrained systems have been the subject of deep analysis since the dawn of analytical mechanics. In fact, D'Alembert's principle of virtual work and Gauss principle of least constraint can be considered as the first solutions to the analysis of systems with constraints. The discussion of these problems was considered sistematically by O. Holder, G. Hamel, P. Appell, N. G. Chetaev, etc. For the last years, there is an increasing interest in nonholonomic mechanics as, for instance, this paper. Following its notation, an unconstrained system is governed by the equations of motion \(\dot{p}=A(p)v\), \(M(p)\dot{v}=h^*(p,v,t)\), where \(A\) is an invertible matrix and \(M\) a symmetric positive definite matrix, \(h^*\) represents the applied forces, and \(p\) and \(v\) are \(n\)-vectors. If the system is subjected to constraints: holonomic \(\Phi_H(p,t)=0\), nonholonomic: \(\Psi_{NH}(p,v,t)=C_{NH}(p,t)v-\eta_{NH}(p,t)\), then, if we denote by \(C\) the matrix \(C=\begin{pmatrix} \left( \frac{\partial\Phi_H}{\partial p} \right)A\\ C_{NH} \end{pmatrix}\), the motion equations of the system are given by \(\dot{p}=A(p)v\), \(M- C^TC\dot v\lambda^*=(h^*\xi)\), where \(\xi=-\dot{C}v+\dot{\eta}\) and \(\eta=(-\partial\Phi_H/\partial t, \eta_{NH})^T\). These equations determine the Lagrange multipliers \(\lambda^*\), since the first matrix is invertible. Following this approach, it is possible to develop projection techniques which permit to obtain the solution.