e-book

Classical mechanics

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This textbook presents an updated treatment of the classical dynamics of particles
and their interaction fields, suitable for students preparing for advanced
study of physics and closely related fields, such as astronomy and many of
the applied engineering sciences. The material is based on lectures notes that I
have developed over a number of years for use in Physics 601, Classical Mechanics,
taught at The College of William and Mary in Virginia. Physics 601 is required for all
entry-level graduate physics majors at our University.

The text is designed for a one or two semester course of study at the entering
graduate student level, or for use by well-prepared students at the advanced undergraduate
level. All twelve chapters can be covered in a two-semester sequence. With
a judicious choice of material, up to eight to ten chapters can be covered in an accelerated,
one-semester, course of study. Optional, advanced, sections are marked with
an asterisk as guidance to the instructor. A caveat, the text contains more explanatory
material, examples, and historical references than is intended to be covered in the
lectures. Instead of “teaching from the book,” the lecturer should focus on presenting
the key concepts, proofs, and critical examples. Introductory material can be quickly
summarized for more advanced students, or amplified as needed for novices.

In deciding on the level of presentation of this material, I tried to follow Einstein’s
dictum, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler.”
There are concepts and techniques, which future practitioners of any field must
acquire, for which it serves no useful purpose to evade or postpone. Many of the older
traditional treatments of mechanics, for example, attempt to avoid the complexities
of tensor analysis by using orthogonal coordinates, avoiding the metric tensor, and
obscuring the differences between covariant and contravariant tensors. This works
fine until one gets to special relativity, where the student suddenly finds himself
having to unlearn things he thought he already knew. Moreover, the notation he has
learned is dated and has little in common with that being taught in other advanced
courses. The concepts of invariance and covariance are too important to bypass.
On the other hand, most entering graduate students in American universities have
a limited mathematical background. One cannot assume that they are already fluent
in the latest mathematical techniques of differential geometry. I read somewhere
once that one can only teach others that which they already know and are prepared
to accept. One should use the familiar to illuminate the unknown. The approach
that I have chosen to follow is to start with the standard vector calculus notation,
commonly used in undergraduate programs, and build from this foundation.

Compared to older textbooks on this subject, the mathematical treatment has been
updated to better prepare the student for the study of advanced topics in quantum,
statistical, nonlinear, and orbital mechanics. For example, the concept of phase
space is introduced in the first chapter; the metric structure of space and curvilinear
coordinates are introduced in the second chapter; and generalized coordinates are
introduced in the third chapter. In the section on rotational motion, geometric algebra
concepts are used to develop the spin rotation group and the results compared to
the standard vector analysis formulations. Dirac bra-ket notation is introduced as an
alternative to the older tensor formulation of dyads and dyadics, and may be used
interchangeably.

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Informasi Detail

Judul Seri

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No. Panggil

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Penerbit

New Delhi : Infinity Science Press LLC.., 2008

Deskripsi Fisik

QC125.2.F56 - 531—dc22

Bahasa

English

ISBN/ISSN

978-1-934015-32-2

Klasifikasi

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Tipe Isi

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Tipe Media

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Tipe Pembawa

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Edisi

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Subjek

TEKNIK MESIN

Info Detail Spesifik

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Pernyataan Tanggungjawab

agus

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