Geometric mechanics
Back to my research page
- A geometric approach to the comparison of the variational approach to
constrained mechanics with the Lagrange-D'Alembert Principle
Reference: Nonholonomic and constrained variational mechanics
- A comprehensive formulation of mechanics from ``first principles''
using differential geometric methods
Reference: The physical foundations of geometric
mechanics
- An apology for geometric mechanics written for a robotics audience
Reference: Is it worth learning differential geometric methods
for modelling and control of mechanical systems?
- A Riemannian geometric formulation of reduction and stability of
relative equilibria
Reference: Reduction, linearization, and stability of relative
equilibria for mechanical systems on Riemannian manifolds
- A genuinely Galilean setting for rigid body mechanics which seems
strangely absent from the literature
Reference: Rigid body mechanics in Galilean spacetimes
- A general setting for Lagrangian mechanics using the ``Lagrange
two-force.'' This is a quite general presentation of Lagrangian
mechanics
Reference: Towards F=ma in general setting for
Lagrangian mechanics
- An investigation of Lagrangian foliations of the zero energy levels of
central force problems
Reference: Lagrangian submanifolds and an application to the
reduced Schrödinger equation in central force problems
- Affine connections preserving the kinetic energy of a Riemannian metric
are characterised
Reference: Energy-preserving affine connections
- A thorough investigation of how affine connections can be used to
describe the unforced equations of motion for a system with constraints
linear in velocity. Note that the use of an affine connection to describe
constrained mechanical systems dates back as far as the work of Synge
(Geodesics in nonholonomic geometry Math. Ann. 99 738-751,
1928). Other authors have since picked up this thread, and my efforts have
been motivated by work of Peter Crouch and Tony Bloch
Reference: Affine connections and distributions
- A variational principle for nonlinear constraints, and a Noether theorem
for these systems
Reference: Variational principles for nonlinearly constrained
systems in one independent variable
- A generalisation of the Gibbs-Appell method from systems of particles
and rigid bodies to general Lagrangians, along with the relationship of these
to Gauss's Principle of Least Constraint
Reference: The geometry of the Gibbs-Appell equations and
Gauss's Principle of Least Constraint
- An investigation of the ``snakeboard'' example
Reference: Nonholonomic mechanics and locomotion: the
snakeboard example
- A theoretical and experimental investigation of variational methods,
wherein the value of the vakonomic equations are put in doubt, as concerns
their description of solutions for mechanical systems
Reference: Variational principles for constrained systems:
theory and experiment
Andrew D. Lewis (andrew at mast.queensu.ca)