The Variational Principles of Mechanics (Dover Books on Physics)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.22 (718 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0486650677 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 418 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-05-18 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
As the author remarks, there is a tremendous treasure of philosophical meaning" behind the great theories of Euler and Lagrange, Hamilton, Jacobi, and other mathematical thinkers.Well-written, authoritative, and scholarly, this classic treatise begins with an introduction to the variational principles of mechanics including the procedures of Euler, Lagrange, and Hamilton.Ideal for a two-semester graduate course, the book includes a variety of problems, carefully chosen to familiarize the student with new concepts and to illuminate the general principles involved. Unlike many
Ed Z. Jr said Lucid and elegant -- a true classic. Lanczos' book is a compelling analysis of the principles of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. It reminds me a bit of Feyman's Lectures on Physics because it focuses on the motivating principles behind advanced mechanics. In an elegant and flowing style, Lanczos guides the reader through a walking tour of the principles of mechanics, peppered with historical footnotes. If you understand how to use mechanics, but want to understand how the underlying principles are developed, this is an excellent choice.. Perfect bridge between the classical and the XXth century physics J. R. G. Mendonca Lanczos' "Variational Principles of Mechanics" is an erudite piece of work that basically reconstructs the science of analytical mechanics bottom up, from the principle of virtual work to Einstein's equivalence principle and the origin of the gravitational redshift of spectral lines. The book contains very little material on the Newtonian, vector mechanics, being entirely devoted to the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian approaches to mechanics.The book provides a perfect introduction to the foundations of the all important principle of least action that pervades all of modern physic. The soul of variational mechanics Ismail Hameduddin This is one of the best books I have ever laid my hands on. Lanczos does a tremendous job of blending mathematics, physics, intuition and philosophy. It leaves the reader with a distinct satisfaction of having gained some insight into the beautiful connections between these realms. To top it off, he builds bridges across to relativity as well (albeit contrived at some points)!Analytical mechanicians, by their very nature, are a philosophical lot. Maybe its because they assume everything will fit perfectly in their models or maybe its an outgrowth of their expectation of a rat