Classical Mechanics: From Particles to Continua and Regularity to Chaos
Govind S. Krishnaswami
Aug 2025 · Texts and Readings in Physical Sciences Book 22 · Springer Nature
Ebook
792
Pages
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About this ebook
This well-rounded and self-contained treatment of classical mechanics strikes a balance between examples, concepts, phenomena and formalism. While addressed to graduate students and their teachers, the minimal prerequisites and ground covered should make it useful also to undergraduates and researchers. Starting with conceptual context, physical principles guide the development. Chapters are modular and the presentation is precise yet accessible, with numerous remarks, footnotes and problems enriching the learning experience. Essentials such as Galilean and Newtonian mechanics, the Kepler problem, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, oscillations, rigid bodies and motion in noninertial frames lead up to discussions of canonical transformations, angle-action variables, Hamilton-Jacobi and linear stability theory. Bifurcations, nonlinear and chaotic dynamics as well as the wave, heat and fluid equations receive substantial coverage. Techniques from linear algebra, differential equations, manifolds, vector and tensor calculus, groups, Lie and Poisson algebras and symplectic and Riemannian geometry are gently introduced. A dynamical systems viewpoint pervades the presentation. A salient feature is that classical mechanics is viewed as part of the wider fabric of physics with connections to quantum, thermal, electromagnetic, optical and relativistic physics highlighted. Thus, this book will also be useful in allied areas and serve as a stepping stone for embarking on research.
About the author
Govind Krishnaswami is a Professor of Physics at the Chennai Mathematical Institute, India, and is a recipient of the Apker Award and Marie Curie, EPSRC and Ramanujan Fellowships. His research in areas such as particle physics, nonlinear dynamics and fluid mechanics has often exploited ideas and tools from classical mechanics. He has taught a wide variety of subjects and is known for the clarity of his lectures and pedagogical articles in Resonance, a journal of science education.
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