Purpose and Emphasis. Mechanics not only is the oldest branch of physics but was and still is the basis for all of theoretical physics. Quantum mechanics can hardly be understood, perhaps cannot even be formulated, without a good kno- edge of general mechanics. Field theories such as electrodynamics borrow their formal framework and many of their building principles from mechanics. In short, throughout the many modern developments of physics where one frequently turns back to the principles of classical mechanics its model character is felt. For this reason it is not surprising that the presentation of mechanics re?ects to some - tent the development of modern physics and that today this classical branch of theoretical physics is taught rather differently than at the time of Arnold S- merfeld, in the 1920s, or even in the 1950s, when more emphasis was put on the theoryandtheapplicationsofpartial-differentialequations. Today, symmetriesand invariance principles, the structure of the space–time continuum, and the geom- rical structure of mechanics play an important role. The beginner should realize that mechanics is not primarily the art of describing block-and-tackles, collisions of billiard balls, constrained motions of the cylinder in a washing machine, or - cycle riding.
This book covers all topics in mechanics from elementary Newtonian mechanics, the principles of canonical mechanics and rigid body mechanics to relativistic mechanics and nonlinear dynamics. It was among the first textbooks to include dynamical systems and deterministic chaos in due detail. As compared to the previous editions the present fifth edition is updated and revised with more explanations, additional examples and sections on Noether's theorem.
Symmetries and invariance principles, the basic geometric aspects of mechanics as well as elements of continuum mechanics also play an important role. The book will enable the reader to develop general principles from which equations of motion follow, to understand the importance of canonical mechanics and of symmetries as a basis for quantum mechanics, and to get practice in using general theoretical concepts and tools that are essential for all branches of physics.
The book contains more than 120 problems with complete solutions, as well as some practical examples which make moderate use of personal computers. This will be appreciated in particular by students using this textbook to accompany lectures on mechanics. The book ends with some historical notes on scientists who made important contributions to the development of mechanics.
