Foundations of Classical Mechanics

The book aims at speeding up undergraduates to attain interest in advanced concepts and methods in science and engineering.

P. C. Deshmukh (Author)

9781108480567, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 12 December 2019

450 pages
24.8 x 19.5 x 3.3 cm, 1.1 kg

'… Deshmukh provides a rigorous yet accessible introduction to classical mechanics that is suitable for first- or second-year physics and engineering students.' Robert B. Scott, Physics Today

Written in easily accessible language, the book provides a modern perspective of classical mechanics. Mathematical rigour is intertwined with lucid narration that will generate confidence in students to assimilate and apply fundamental principles of physics. The commonalities and differences of Newton's, Lagrange's and Hamilton's equations are explained in detail. Free, damped, driven oscillators and resonances are analysed systematically. The text extensively covers concepts of fluid mechanics, special theory of relativity, general theory of relativity and Lorentz transformations. The theories of gravitational field, fractals and chaos, Maxwell's laws of electrodynamics, and Einstein's theory of relativity are expanded from the first principle. The text is supported by practice problem sets to help students check their understanding of the concepts.

List of figures
List of tables
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
1. Laws of mechanics and symmetry principles
2. Mathematical preliminaries
3. Real effects of pseudo-forces: description of motion in accelerated frame of reference
4. Small oscillations and wave motion
5. Damped and driven oscillations
Resonances
6. The variational principle
7. Angular momentum and rigid body dynamics
8. The gravitational interaction in Newtonian mechanics
9. Complex behavior of simple system
10. Gradient operator, methods of fluid mechanics, and electrodynamics
11. Rudiments of fluid mechanics
12. Basic principles of electrodynamics
13. Introduction to special theory of relativity
14. A glimpse of the general theory of relativity
Index.

Subject Areas: Mathematical physics [PHU], Fluid mechanics [PHDF], Classical mechanics [PHD], Physics [PH], Mathematics [PB]