Hamilton's Principle and Lagrangian Mechanics

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

Date

2008

Department

Mathematics

Program

Bachelor's Degree

Citation of Original Publication

Rights

Collection may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. To obtain information or permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Goucher Special Collections & Archives at 410-337-6347 or email archives@goucher.edu.

Abstract

“Hamilton’s Principle and Lagrangian Mechanics” explores an application of differential equations to classical physics. The paper is an introduction to the formulations of mechanics developed by William Rowan Hamilton and Joseph Louis de Lagrange. In certain situations, these approaches are superior to the ubiquitous Newtonian mechanics. The derivation and philosophical underpinning of both Hamilton’s and Lagrange’s method are also discussed.