No label defined (Q4400547)

The authors construct a symplectic formalism for Lagrangian systems subjected to nonholonomic constraints. These nonholonomic Lagrangian systems have in addition to the regular Lagrangian defined on the phase space of velocities a distribution defined on the configuration manifold. This distribution is a linear submanifold representing the constraints, i.e. the motion is only allowable for those values of velocities that belong to that submanifold. The constrained motion equations are obtained by modification of the motion equation for the associated free Lagrangian systems. The authors construct an almost-product structure of the linear submanifold (under some regularity assumptions) in order to obtain the dynamics by projecting the Euler-Lagrange vector field which solves the motion equations of the free problem. Additional considerations are made on the Hamiltonian formulation, on constraints defined by connections and on an application for equations of constrained geodesics. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0886.00020].