Lagrangian formulation

Dr. Lisha Damodaran

Assistant Professor in Physics
Govt. Brennen College
Introduction
 Mechanics deals with physical objects in rest and in motion under the influence of
external and internal forces (Statics and dynamics).
Stu study of dynamical system

Study of dynamical system 1.Mathematical

formulation of the
problem

2. Solving the equation

of motion

SiS
Newtonian Mechanics (Vectorial Mechanics)
 Based on Newton’s laws of motion.
 Equation of motion involves vector quantities.
 When deal with complex problems direct application of Newton’s laws become
practically impossible (since it involves unknown internal forces).
An alternative and superior scheme is called Analytical mechanics developed by
1. D’ Alembert
2. Lagrange
3. Hamilton, etc.,
 Here the physical quantities involved are scalars.
 Dynamical relations are obtained by differentiation.
 System is considered as a whole (internal forces can be avoided).
Degrees of freedom
 The number of coordinates required to specify the position of a system of one or more
particles is called the number of degrees of freedom of the system.
 If the system is a single particle, we require three Cartesian coordinates to describe its
motion, (x, y, z) in Cartesian co-ordinates and (r, θ, Φ) in Spherical polar co-ordinates.
 x, y, or z (one degree of freedom - motion on a curve)
 (x, y) (two degrees of freedom - motion on a
surface)

 (x, y, z) (three degrees of freedom - motion in space)

 For a system of two particles
(x1 , y1 ,z1 ) and (x2 , y2 ,z2 ) (six (3×2) degrees of freedom )
 For a system of N particles in a 3D space
 (x1 , y1 ,z1 , x2 , y2 ,z2 ,…… xN , yN ,zN ) (3N degrees of freedom )
Configurational Space
 For a system of N particles, moving freely in space,
The motion can be represented by the position of a system point in a 3N dimensional
space called Configurational space.

 For a one particle system configurational space is 3 dimensional.

 Two particle ----- 6 dimensional.
 N particle -------- 3 N dimensional.

 The movement of the system point in configurational space traces a curve called
the path (Trajectory) of motion of the system.
 Constraints:
• The limitations on the motion are often called constraints.

Motion of the beads of an abacus is constrained to one dimension

by the supporting wire.

Generally constraints are expressed in terms of equations.

1. For a rigid body (inter particle distances are fixed)

𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐
𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒊𝒊𝒊 = 𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒊 − 𝒓𝒓𝒋𝒋 = 𝒙𝒙𝒊𝒊 − 𝒙𝒙𝒋𝒋 + 𝒚𝒚 − 𝒚𝒚𝒋𝒋 + 𝒛𝒛 − 𝒛𝒛𝒋𝒋 = constant

2. Motion of a simple pendulum confined in the X-Z plane

𝑦𝑦 = 0 and l2 = 𝑥𝑥 2 + 𝑧𝑧 2 =constant

3. For a particle moving on the surface of a sphere

𝑥𝑥 2 +y 2 + 𝑧𝑧 2 = a2
Classification of constraints
Based on four criteria
 Time dependent or not
Rheonomous and scleronomous
 Integrable algebraic functions or not
Holonomic and nonholonomic
 Conservative or dissipative
 Algebraic equations or inequalities
Bilateral and unilateral
Rheonomous and scleronomous
Rheonomous Scleronomous
Constraint relations depend explicitly Do not depend explicitly on time
on time
i.e.,𝑓𝑓 𝑟𝑟1 , 𝑟𝑟2 , … … . 𝑟𝑟𝑁𝑁 , 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑐𝑐 𝑓𝑓 𝑟𝑟1 , 𝑟𝑟2 , … … . 𝑟𝑟𝑁𝑁 = 𝑐𝑐

Eg:- Simple pendulum with variable Simple pendulum with a rigid

length. 𝑟𝑟 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑙𝑙(𝑡𝑡) support 𝑟𝑟 = 𝑙𝑙
Y
P
Holonomic and nonholonomic l
Holonomic Nonholonomic

Systems independent of velocities are Constraint relation depends on X

𝑣𝑣 = 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎
called holonomic. velocity 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
= 𝑎𝑎
Eg:- The motion of a rigid body A cylinder rolling on a plane 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
without slipping 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = 𝑎𝑎 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
Integrating
Motion of simple pendulum with 𝑓𝑓 𝑟𝑟1 , 𝑟𝑟2 , … … . 𝑟𝑟𝑁𝑁 , 𝑟𝑟1̇ , 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑐𝑐 𝑙𝑙 = 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 + 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐
rigid support. 𝑙𝑙 − 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐
Conservative and Non conservative
Conservative Non conservative
If the total mechanical energy of a system is The total mechanical energy of a system is
conserved while performing a constrained not conserved. Constraint forces are
motion. dissipative.
Constraint forces do not do any work They do work
Eg:- A sphere rolling without slipping, point Simple pendulum with its bob sliding on a
of contact is not sliding, hence frictional circular track. The pendulum losses energy
force do no work continuously due to friction.

Bilateral and Unilateral

Bilateral Unilateral
The constraint relations are expressed as The constraint relations are expressed as
equations inequalities
𝑓𝑓 𝑟𝑟1 , 𝑟𝑟2 , … … . 𝑟𝑟𝑁𝑁 , 𝑟𝑟1̇ , 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑐𝑐, 𝑓𝑓 𝑟𝑟1 , 𝑟𝑟2 , … … . 𝑟𝑟𝑁𝑁 , 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑓𝑓 𝑟𝑟1 , 𝑟𝑟2 , … … . 𝑟𝑟𝑁𝑁 , 𝑟𝑟1̇ , 𝑡𝑡 ≥ 𝑐𝑐
𝑐𝑐,𝑓𝑓 𝑟𝑟1 , 𝑟𝑟2 , … … . 𝑟𝑟𝑁𝑁 = 𝑐𝑐
A system of gas molecules in a cylinder.

Scleronomic, holonomic and conservative systems are called simple systems others are
called general systems.
 Generalized coordinates
 We have seen that the position of a particle in space can be specified by three coordinates. These
may be Cartesian, spherical, cylindrical, or, in fact, any three suitably chosen parameters.
 If the particle is constrained to move in a plane or on a fixed surface, only two coordinates are
needed to specify the particle’s position, where as if the particle moves on a straight line or on a
fixed curve, then one coordinate is sufficient. i.e., the number of coordinates actually needed to
specify the configuration is less than 3.
 In the case of a system N particles we need, in general, 3N coordinates to specify completely the
simultaneous positions of all the particles- the configuration of the system.
 If there are constraints imposed on the system, however, the number of coordinates actually
needed to specify the configuration is less than 3N.
 In general, a certain minimum number n=3N-k of coordinates is required to specify the
configuration of a given system, k is the number of consraints.
 We shall designate these coordinates by the symbols called generalized coordinates.
 Generalized coordinates need not have dimensions of length.
 They can be written as 𝑟𝑟1 = 𝑟𝑟1 (𝑞𝑞1 , 𝑞𝑞2 , … … . , 𝑞𝑞𝑛𝑛 , 𝑡𝑡)𝑟𝑟2 = 𝑟𝑟2 (𝑞𝑞1 , 𝑞𝑞2 , … … . , 𝑞𝑞𝑛𝑛 , 𝑡𝑡), ………..
𝑟𝑟𝑁𝑁 = 𝑟𝑟𝑁𝑁 (𝑞𝑞1 , 𝑞𝑞2 , … … . , 𝑞𝑞𝑛𝑛 , 𝑡𝑡) or 𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑖 = 𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑖 (𝑞𝑞1 , 𝑞𝑞2 , … … . , 𝑞𝑞𝑛𝑛 , 𝑡𝑡) i.e., 𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑖 = ∑𝑗𝑗 𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑖 (𝑞𝑞𝑗𝑗 , 𝑡𝑡)

 𝑞𝑞1 , 𝑞𝑞2 , … … . , 𝑞𝑞𝑛𝑛 are called generalized coordinates.

𝑑𝑑𝑞𝑞𝑗𝑗
 Time derivative of generalized coordinates is called generalized velocity. 𝑞𝑞𝑗𝑗̇ = 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
 Examples X
𝜃𝜃
z

 Simple pendulum: Constraint equation is 𝑟𝑟 = 𝑙𝑙, length of pendulum

z = 𝑙𝑙 cos 𝜃𝜃 and x = 𝑙𝑙 sin 𝜃𝜃, degree of freedom is 2-1=1.i.e.,
x
𝒛𝒛 𝒙𝒙
there exists only one independent co-ordinate. 𝐪𝐪 = 𝜽𝜽 = 𝐜𝐜𝐜𝐜𝐜𝐜 −𝟏𝟏 =𝐬𝐬𝐬𝐬𝐬𝐬−𝟏𝟏
𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒍
Z
 Motion of particle on a spherical surface:
x 2 𝑦𝑦 2 z 2
Equation of constraint, x2 + y2 + z2 = 𝑟𝑟 2 or + + =1
a a a
𝑥𝑥 𝑦𝑦 𝑧𝑧
Let 𝑞𝑞1 = , 𝑞𝑞2 = 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑞𝑞3 = Here 𝑞𝑞3 = 1 − 𝑞𝑞12 − 𝑞𝑞22 is not independent
𝑎𝑎 𝑎𝑎 𝑎𝑎

 A disc rolling down an inclined plane without slipping:

Constraint equations are 𝜙𝜙 = 0 and O1 P = 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 Y
P
The generalized coordinates are 𝜃𝜃 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑙𝑙
l