Table of Contents

Kinematics: Describing the Motion. Newtonian Mechanics. Integration of Newton’s Equation of Motion. Lagrangian Formulation of Mechanics: Descriptions of Motion in Configuration Space. Hamiltonian Formulation of Mechanics: Descriptions of Motion in PhaseSpaces. Motion Under a Central Force. Harmonic Oscillator. Coupled Oscillations and Normal Coordinates. Nonlinear Oscillations. Collisions and Scatterings. Motion in Non-Inertial Systems. Motion of Rigid Bodies. Theory of Special Relativity. Newtonian Gravity and Newtonian Cosmology. Hamilton–Jacobi Theory of Dynamics. Introduction to Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Formulations for Continuous Systems and Classical Fields. Appendices. Index.

About the Author

Dr. Tai Chow was born and raised in China. He received the Bachelor of Science degree in physics from National Taiwan University, a master’s degree in physics from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and a Ph.D. degree in physics from the University of Rochester in New York. Since 1970, Dr. Chow has been in the Department of Physics at California State University, Stanislaus, and served as the department chairman for 18 years. He has published more than 40 articles in physics and astrophysics journals and is the author of four textbooks.