This textbook on Classical Mechanics has grown out of the lecture notes prepared by the authors during the course of teaching the subject to postgraduate (M.Sc.) students of Physics at several universities and colleges in Karnataka over many years. The topics covered in the book go well beyound the model syllabus recommended by the UGC for postgraduate degree in Physics and hence it should be useful to even wider group of students such as those pursuing M.Phil. and M.Tech. degrees. The readers are assumed to have basic knowledge of Newtonian Mechanics, Special Relativity, Differential Equations, Vectors and Matrices at the level prescribed for undergraduate (B.Sc.) students of Physics. However, Newtonian Mechanics is briefly reviewed in the very first chapter.
The first five chapters may be used as material for a one-semester course, while the entire book can be considered for a two-semester (or one year) course. Various definitions and concepts are explained in simple language, giveing examples wherever necessary. Hence, the book is suitable for self-study, Illustrations are included to clarify the written material. A large number of worked examples, questions and problems at the end of the chapters should help the students to understand the concepts and laws and also prepare them to face examinations such as NET/SET conducted by UGC/CSIR.
- Suitable for M.Sc. (Physics) students of all Indian universities.
- Written in simple and straightforward language so that the book becomes suitable for self-study.
- Large number of worked examples are included to clarify various concepts and laws.
- Questions and problems are included for every chapter.
- Historical accounts are included as footnotes.
Contents -
I. Mechanics of Particles
II. Constraints, Lagrange's Equations, Symmetries and Conservation Laws
III. Central Forces and Scattering
IV. Hamilton's Equations of Motion
V. Small Ocillations
VI. Canonical Transformations
VII. Hamilton-Jacobi Theory
VIII. Non-inertical Coordinate Systems
IX. Rigid Body Motion
X. Relativistic Mechanics