Geometry of mechanics (Q6985016)

This book is devoted to the exploration of the geometric structures underlying the main types of dynamical systems arising in mechanics. The systems under consideration are of variational type; that is, they are systems whose dynamical equations derive from a variational principle and are obtained from the associated action functional following the standard procedures of the calculus of variations. The analysis focuses primarily on so-called regular systems, although specific remarks addressing the singular case are also included throughout the text. The various geometric structures described and studied in detail at the beginning of each chapter depend on the specific characteristics of each class of systems.\N\NThe fundamental geometric structure corresponds to autonomous (time-independent) dynamical systems, namely the symplectic structure (or presymplectic structure, in the singular case). The second chapter is devoted to the presentation of this geometry and its application to the general description of autonomous systems, giving rise -- within this geometric framework -- to the body of theory known as symplectic mechanics. In this setting, autonomous dynamical systems are generically referred to as symplectic Hamiltonian systems. Their foundations and dynamical equations (Hamilton's equations) are established, together with a detailed study of symmetries, conserved quantities, and the geometric formulation of Noether's theorem. The chapter also introduces group actions on symplectic manifolds as the natural framework for discussing the reduction theory of Hamiltonian systems with symmetries. This study is complemented by an appendix presenting the fundamental notions of Lie groups and Lie algebras.\N\NContinuing the development of symplectic mechanics, the third chapter is devoted to autonomous Lagrangian dynamical systems, namely those described by a Lagrangian function. Since the natural phase spaces of these systems are the tangent and cotangent bundles of the configuration manifold, the first part of the chapter is dedicated to the geometry and canonical structures of these bundles, whose definitions and basic properties are presented in another appendix at the end of the book. After formally introducing Lagrangian systems and establishing their equations of motion (Euler-Lagrange equations), the canonical Hamiltonian formalism associated with a Lagrangian system is developed, including the geometric formulation of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation. The Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms can be unified into a single framework, known as the Skinner-Rusk formalism, which is subsequently described. The chapter then addresses the various notions of symmetry that can be defined for a Lagrangian system and their interrelations, leading in particular to the definition of equivalent Lagrangians and to the statement of the classical Noether theorem. The final part of the chapter presents the variational formulation of Lagrangian systems and concludes with the analysis, as illustrative examples, of two fundamental mechanical systems: the harmonic oscillator and the problem of central forces, or the Kepler problem.\N\NTime-dependent (non-autonomous) dynamical systems are the subject of the fourth chapter. Several geometric approaches are available for their study. The one developed here in detail is based on a modification of symplectic geometry known as cosymplectic geometry, whose definition and main properties are introduced at the beginning of the chapter and give rise to cosymplectic mechanics. Cosymplectic Hamiltonian systems and their Lagrangian, canonical Hamiltonian, and unified Skinner--Rusk formulations are then developed. A brief overview of other commonly used geometric frameworks for non-autonomous systems follows, namely the contact formulation and the extended symplectic formulation, together with the relationships among these three descriptions. The chapter concludes with the analysis of the periodically forced harmonic oscillator and the Kepler problem for a particle with time-dependent mass.\N\NThe next chapter is devoted to Riemannian mechanics, which provides the geometric description of the typical systems of analytical mechanics, namely those described by mechanical-type Lagrangians involving a Riemannian metric. As in previous chapters, an extensive mathematical introduction to Riemannian geometry, its properties, and characteristic features is first presented. Autonomous and non-autonomous Newtonian dynamical systems and their equations are then defined and analyzed. Particular attention is paid to coupled systems, systems with holonomic and nonholonomic constraints, and the corresponding variational principle of d'Alembert, together with several illustrative examples.\N\NThe final chapter introduces the geometric study of autonomous dissipative (or non-conservative) systems. In this case, the underlying geometry is provided by contact structures, giving rise to contact mechanics. This structure is introduced at the beginning of the chapter and exhibits certain similarities with the cosymplectic structure discussed in Chapter~4. Autonomous contact Hamiltonian systems and their dynamical equations are formulated in close analogy with cosymplectic Hamiltonian systems. As in previous cases, the Lagrangian, canonical Hamiltonian, and unified Skinner-Rusk formalisms are developed. Special emphasis is placed on the study of symmetries, which are now associated with dissipated quantities and dissipation laws, although under certain circumstances conserved quantities and conservation laws also arise. The chapter concludes with the analysis of the damped harmonic oscillator and the Kepler problem with dissipation.\N\NThe book ends with two appendices, already mentioned in Chapters~2 and~3. The first is devoted to the tangent and cotangent bundles of a manifold, while the second provides a detailed presentation of fundamental concepts related to Lie groups and Lie algebras.\N\NAll chapters include a more or less extensive list of problems and exercises, often accompanied by detailed hints, many of which address complementary aspects of the concepts introduced in the text.\N\NAs a final remark, the book contains a very extensive bibliography covering all the physical and mathematical aspects discussed, with particular emphasis on contributions by authors associated with the so-called ``Spanish school''.