Synopsis
This book covers all topics in mechanics from elementary Newtonian mechanics, the principles of canonical mechanics and rigid body mechanics to relativistic mechanics and nonlinear dynamics. It was among the first textbooks to include dynamical systems and deterministic chaos in due detail. As compared to the previous editions the present fifth edition is updated and revised with more explanations and additional examples.
Symmetries and invariance principles, the basic geometric aspects of mechanics as well as elements of continuum mechanics also play an important role. The book will enable the reader to develop general principles from which equations of motion follow, to understand the importance of canonical mechanics and of symmetries as a basis for quantum mechanics, and to get practice in using general theoretical concepts and tools that are essential for all branches of physics.
The book contains more than 120 problems with complete solutions, as well as some practical examples which make moderate use of personal computers. This will be appreciated in particular by students using this textbook to accompany lectures on mechanics. The book ends with some historical notes on scientists who made important contributions to the development of mechanics.
Booknews
Classical mechanics provides the conceptual foundation on which the remainder of physics--however radically "non-classical" it might superficially appear--rests. The shape of modern developments does, however, serve to control the manner in which the rich subject matter of classical mechanics is organized and presented. The latter point is illustrated very nicely by the present text, which is intended to serve the needs of thoughtful graduate and advanced undergraduate students of physics and which derives from a course taught over the years at Johannes Gutenberg Univ. (Mainz, Germany). Chapter 5 provides a good introduction to the differential geometric aspects of mechanics, Chapter 6 looks to stability and chaos, Chapter 7 to classical field theory. Arguably the best "modern approach to classical mechanics" presently available. Good exercises are collected together at the end of the volume. The production quality is good, the price is right, and the text appears quite capable of the serious work for which it was intended. (NW) Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)