Introduction to Hamiltonian Dynamical Systems and the N-Body Problem
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Beschreibung
This text grew out of graduate level courses in mathematics, engineering and physics given at several universities. The courses took students who had some background in differential equations and lead them through a systematic grounding in the theory of Hamiltonian mechanics from a dynamical systems point of view. Topics covered include a detailed discussion of linear Hamiltonian systems, an introduction to variational calculus and the Maslov index, the basics of the symplectic group, an introduction to reduction, applications of Poincaré's continuation to periodic solutions, the use of normal forms, applications of fixed point theorems and KAM theory. There is a special chapter devoted to finding symmetric periodic solutions by calculus of variations methods.
The main examples treated in this text are the N-body problem and various specialized problems like the restricted three-body problem. The theory of the N-body problem is used to illustrate the general theory. Some of the topics covered are the classical integrals and reduction, central configurations, the existence of periodic solutions by continuation and variational methods, stability and instability of the Lagrange triangular point.
Ken Meyer is an emeritus professor at the University of Cincinnati, Glen Hall is an associate professor at Boston University, and Dan Offin is a professor at Queen's University.
The theory of Hamiltonian systems is a vast subject which can be studied from many different viewpoints. This book develops the basic theory of Hamiltonian differential equations from a dynamical systems point of view. That is, the solutions of the differential equations are thought of as curves in a phase space and it is the geometry of these curves that is the important object of study. The analytic underpinnings of the subject are developed in detail. The last chapter on twist maps has a more geometric flavor. It was written by Glen R. Hall. The main example developed in the text is the classical N-body problem, i.e., the Hamiltonian system of differential equations which describe the motion of N point masses moving under the influence of their mutual gravitational attraction. Many of the general concepts are applied to this example. But this is not a book about the N-body problem for its own sake. The N-body problem is a subject in its own right which would require a sizable volume of its own. Very few of the special results which only apply to the N-body problem are given.
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Kenneth Meyer
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From the reviews of the second edition:
"The primary subject here is the basic theory of Hamiltonian differential equations studied from the perspective of differential dynamical systems. The N-body problem is used as the primary example of a Hamiltonian system, a touchstone for the theory as the authors develop it. This book is intended to support a first course at the graduate level for mathematics and engineering students. … It is a well-organized and accessible introduction to the subject … . This is an attractive book … ." (William J. Satzer, The Mathematical Association of America, March, 2009)
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