classical mechanics 

For thirty years this has been the acknowledged standard in advanced classical mechanics courses. This classic text enables students to make connections between classical and modern physics - an indispensable part of a physicist's education. In this new edition, Beams Medal winner Charles Poole and John Safko have updated the text to include the latest topics, applications, and notation, to reflect today's physics curriculum. They introduce students to the increasingly important role that non-linearities play in contemporary applications of classical mechanics. New numerical exercises help students to develop skills in how to use computer techniques to solve problems in physics. Mathematical techniques are presented in detail so that the text remains fully accessible to students who have not had an intermediate course in classical mechanics.
 

Table of Contents


1. Survey of the Elementary Principles.


2. Variational Principles and Lagrange's Equations.


UPDATED! 3. The Central Force Problem.


4. The Kinematics of Rigid Body Motion.


5. The Rigid Body Equations of Motion.


UPDATED! 6. Oscillations.


REVISED! 7. The Classical Mechanics of the Special Theory of Relativity.


8. The Hamiltonian Equations of Motion.


9. Canonical Transformations.


10. Hamilton-Jacobi Theory and Action Angle Variables.


NEW! 11. Classical Chaos.


REVISED! 12. Canonical Perturbation Theory.


13. Introduction to Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Formulations for Continuous Systems and Fields.


Appendixes.


Select Bibliography.


Index.