Unit 1
Introduction to Lagrangian Dynamics
Survey of principles, mechanics of particles, mechanics of system of particles, constraints, D’Alembert’s principle and Lagrange’s equation, simple applications of the Lagrangian formulation, variational principles and Lagrange’s equations, Hamilton’s principles, derivation of Lagrange’s equations from Hamilton’s principle, conservation theorems and symmetry properties.
Unit 2
Central Field Problem
Two body central force problem, reduction to the equivalent one body problem, Kepler problem, inverse square law of force, motion in time in Kepler’s problem, scattering in central force field, transformation of the scattering to laboratory system, Rutherford scattering, the three body problem.
Rotational kinematics and dynamics
Kinematics of rigid body motion, orthogonal transformation, Euler’s theorem on the motion of a rigid body.