Hamiltonian system
Encyclopedia
In physics
and classical mechanics
, a Hamiltonian system is a physical system
in which force
s are momentum
invariant
. Hamiltonian systems are studied in Hamiltonian mechanics
.
In mathematics
, a Hamiltonian system is a system of differential equation
s which can be written in the form of Hamilton's equations. Hamiltonian systems are usually formulated in terms of Hamiltonian vector field
s on a symplectic manifold
or Poisson manifold
. Hamiltonian systems are a special case of dynamical system
s.
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and classical mechanics
Classical mechanics
In physics, classical mechanics is one of the two major sub-fields of mechanics, which is concerned with the set of physical laws describing the motion of bodies under the action of a system of forces...
, a Hamiltonian system is a physical system
Physical system
In physics, the word system has a technical meaning, namely, it is the portion of the physical universe chosen for analysis. Everything outside the system is known as the environment, which in analysis is ignored except for its effects on the system. The cut between system and the world is a free...
in which force
Force
In physics, a force is any influence that causes an object to undergo a change in speed, a change in direction, or a change in shape. In other words, a force is that which can cause an object with mass to change its velocity , i.e., to accelerate, or which can cause a flexible object to deform...
s are momentum
Momentum
In classical mechanics, linear momentum or translational momentum is the product of the mass and velocity of an object...
invariant
Invariant (physics)
In mathematics and theoretical physics, an invariant is a property of a system which remains unchanged under some transformation.-Examples:In the current era, the immobility of polaris under the diurnal motion of the celestial sphere is a classical illustration of physical invariance.Another...
. Hamiltonian systems are studied in Hamiltonian mechanics
Hamiltonian mechanics
Hamiltonian mechanics is a reformulation of classical mechanics that was introduced in 1833 by Irish mathematician William Rowan Hamilton.It arose from Lagrangian mechanics, a previous reformulation of classical mechanics introduced by Joseph Louis Lagrange in 1788, but can be formulated without...
.
In mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, a Hamiltonian system is a system of differential equation
Differential equation
A differential equation is a mathematical equation for an unknown function of one or several variables that relates the values of the function itself and its derivatives of various orders...
s which can be written in the form of Hamilton's equations. Hamiltonian systems are usually formulated in terms of Hamiltonian vector field
Hamiltonian vector field
In mathematics and physics, a Hamiltonian vector field on a symplectic manifold is a vector field, defined for any energy function or Hamiltonian. Named after the physicist and mathematician Sir William Rowan Hamilton, a Hamiltonian vector field is a geometric manifestation of Hamilton's equations...
s on a symplectic manifold
Symplectic manifold
In mathematics, a symplectic manifold is a smooth manifold, M, equipped with a closed nondegenerate differential 2-form, ω, called the symplectic form. The study of symplectic manifolds is called symplectic geometry or symplectic topology...
or Poisson manifold
Poisson manifold
In mathematics, a Poisson manifold is a differentiable manifold M such that the algebra C^\infty\, of smooth functions over M is equipped with a bilinear map called the Poisson bracket, turning it into a Poisson algebra...
. Hamiltonian systems are a special case of dynamical system
Dynamical system
A dynamical system is a concept in mathematics where a fixed rule describes the time dependence of a point in a geometrical space. Examples include the mathematical models that describe the swinging of a clock pendulum, the flow of water in a pipe, and the number of fish each springtime in a...
s.
See also
- Action-angle coordinatesAction-angle coordinatesIn classical mechanics, action-angle coordinates are a set of canonical coordinates useful in solving many integrable systems. The method of action-angles is useful for obtaining the frequencies of oscillatory or rotational motion without solving the equations of motion. Action-angle coordinates...
- Liouville's theoremLiouville's theorem (Hamiltonian)In physics, Liouville's theorem, named after the French mathematician Joseph Liouville, is a key theorem in classical statistical and Hamiltonian mechanics...
- Integrable systemIntegrable systemIn mathematics and physics, there are various distinct notions that are referred to under the name of integrable systems.In the general theory of differential systems, there is Frobenius integrability, which refers to overdetermined systems. In the classical theory of Hamiltonian dynamical...
Further Reading
- Treschev, D., & Zubelevich, O. (2010). Introduction to the perturbation theory of Hamiltonian systems. Heidelberg: Springer
- Audin, M., & Babbitt, D. G. (2008). Hamiltonian systems and their integrability. Providence, R.I: American Mathematical Society.
- Zaslavsky, G. M. (2007). The physics of chaos in Hamiltonian systems. London: Imperial College Press.
- Dickey, L. A. (2003). Soliton equations and Hamiltonian systems. Advanced series in mathematical physics, v. 26. River Edge, NJ: World Scientific.
- Almeida, A. M. (1992). Hamiltonian systems: Chaos and quantization. Cambridge monographs on mathematical physics. Cambridge [u.a.: Cambridge Univ. Press.]