The purpose of this paper is to show that, at least for Lagrangians of mechanical type, nonholonomic Euler-Lagrange equations for a nonholonomic linear constraint D may be viewed as non-constrained Euler-Lagrange equations but on a new (generally not Lie) algebroid structure on D. The proposed novel formalism allows us to treat in a unified way a variety of situations in nonholonomic mechanics and gives rise to a version of Neoether Theorem producing actual first integrals in case of symmetries.
The constraint reaction force of ideal nonholonomic constraints in time-dependent mechanics on a configuration bundle $Q\to R$ is obtained. Using the vertical extension of Hamiltonian formalism to the vertical tangent bundle $VQ$ of $Q\to R$, the Hamiltonian of a nonholonomic constrained system is constructed.
This paper presents a geometric description of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian systems on Lie affgebroids subject to affine nonholonomic constraints. We define the notion of nonholonomically constrained system, and characterize regularity conditions that guarantee that the dynamics of the system can be obtained as a suitable projection of the unconstrained dynamics. It is shown that one can define an almost aff-Poisson bracket on the constraint AV-bundle, which plays a prominent role in the description of nonholonomic dynamics. Moreover, these developments give a general description of nonholonomic…
A multisymplectic setting for classical field theories subjected to non-holonomic constraints is presented. The infinite dimensional setting in the space of Cauchy data is also given.
In this article we develop a theory of contact systems with nonholonomic constraints. We obtain the dynamics from Herglotz's variational principle, by restricting the variations so that they satisfy the nonholonomic constraints. We prove that the nonholonomic dynamics can be obtained as a projection of the unconstrained Hamiltonian vector field. Finally, we construct the nonholonomic bracket, which is an almost Jacobi bracket on the space of observables and provides the nonholonomic dynamics.
Nonholonomic mechanical systems have been attracting more interest in recent years because of their rich geometric properties and their applications in Engineering. In all generality, we discuss the reduction of a Hamilton-Jacobi theory for systems subject to nonholonomic constraints and that are invariant under the action of a group of symmetries. We consider nonholonomic systems subject to linear or nonlinear constraints, with different positioning with respect to the symmetries. We describe the reduction procedure first, to later reconstruct solutions in the unreduced picture, by starting f…
We construct the exponential map associated to a nonholonomic system that allows us to define an exact discrete nonholonomic constraint submanifold. We reproduce the continuous nonholonomic flow as a discrete flow on this discrete constraint submanifold deriving an exact discrete version of the nonholonomic equations. Finally, we derive a general family of nonholonomic integrators.
This paper deals with conservation laws for mechanical systems with nonholonomic constraints. It uses a Lagrangian formulation of nonholonomic systems and a Cartan form approach. We present what we believe to be the most general relations between symmetries and first integrals. We discuss the so-called nonholonomic Noether theorem in terms of our formalism, and we give applications to Riemannian submanifolds, to Lagrangians of mechanical type, and to the determination of quadratic first integrals.
We study relations between vakonomically and nonholonomically constrained Lagrangian dynamics for the same set of linear constraints. The basic idea is to compare both situations at the level of variational principles, not equations of motion as has been done so far. The method seems to be quite powerful and effective. In particular, it allows to derive, interpret and generalize many known results on non-Abelian Chaplygin systems. We apply it also to a class of systems on Lie groups with a left-invariant constraints distribution. Concrete examples of the unicycle in a potential field, the two-…
In the present article the geometry of semi-Riemannian manifolds with nonholonomic constraints is studied. These manifolds can be considered as analogues to the sub-Riemannian manifolds, where the positively definite metric is substituted by a nondegenerate metric. To study properties of the exponential map the Christoffel symbols and other differential operators were introduced. We study solutions of the Hamiltonian system and their projections into the underlying manifold. The explicit formulae were found for a specific example of a semi-Riemannian manifold with nonholonomic constraints.
In order to describe the impact of different geometric structures and constraints for the dynamics of a Hamiltonian system, in this paper, for a magnetic Hamiltonian system defined by a magnetic symplectic form, we first drive precisely the geometric constraint conditions of magnetic symplectic form for the magnetic Hamiltonian vector field.which are called the Type I and Type II of Hamilton-Jacobi equation. Secondly, for the magnetic Hamiltonian system with nonholonomic constraint, we first define a distributional magnetic Hamiltonian system, then derive its two types of Hamilton-Jacobi equat…
In this paper, it is elaborated the theory the Ricci flows for manifolds enabled with nonintegrable (nonholonomic) distributions defining nonlinear connection structures. Such manifolds provide a unified geometric arena for nonholonomic Riemannian spaces, Lagrange mechanics, Finsler geometry, and various models of gravity (the Einstein theory and string, or gauge, generalizations). We follow the method of nonholonomic frames with associated nonlinear connection structure and define certain classes of nonholonomic constraints on Riemann manifolds for which various types of generalized Finsler g…
In order to describe the impact of nonholonomic constraints for the dynamics of a regular controlled Hamiltonian (RCH) system, in this paper, for an RCH system with nonholonomic constraint, we first derive its distributional RCH system, by analyzing carefully the structure of dynamical vector field of the nonholonomic RCH system. Secondly, we derive precisely the geometric constraint conditions of the induced distributional two-form for the dynamical vector field of the distributional RCH system, which are called the Type I and Type II of Hamilton-Jacobi equations. Thirdly, we generalize the a…
We study mechanical systems subject to constraint functions that can be dependent at some points and independent at the rest. Such systems are modelled by means of generalized codistributions. We discuss how the constraint force can transmit an impulse to the motion at the points of dependence and derive an explicit formula to obtain the ``post-impact'' momentum in terms of the ``pre-impact'' momentum.
We consider Noether symmetries of the equations defined by the sections of characteristic line bundles of nondegenerate 1-forms and of the associated perturbed systems. It appears that this framework can be used for time-dependent systems with constraints and nonconservative forces, allowing a quite simple and transparent formulation of the momentum equation and the Noether theorem in their general forms.
In this paper, for a variety of nonholonomic (reducible) Hamiltonian systems, we first give to various distributional Hamiltonian systems, by analyzing carefully the dynamics and structures of the nonholonomic Hamiltonian systems. Secondly, we derive precisely the geometric constraint conditions of the induced distributional two-form for the nonholonomic dynamical vector field, which are called the Type I and Type II of Hamilton-Jacobi equations. Thirdly, we generalize the above results for the nonholonomic reducible Hamiltonian systems with symmetries, as well as with momentum maps, and prove…
In this paper, we explore dynamics of the nonholonomic system called vakonomic mechanics in the context of Lagrange-Dirac dynamical systems using a Dirac structure and its associated Hamilton-Pontryagin variational principle. We first show the link between vakonomic mechanics and nonholonomic mechanics from the viewpoints of Dirac structures as well as Lagrangian submanifolds. Namely, we clarify that Lagrangian submanifold theory cannot represent nonholonomic mechanics properly, but vakonomic mechanics instead. Second, in order to represent vakonomic mechanics, we employ the space $TQ\times V^…
In order to describe the impact of different geometric structures and constraints for the dynamics of a regular controlled Hamiltonian system, in this paper, we first define a kind of controlled magnetic Hamiltonian (CMH) system, and give a good expression of the dynamical vector field of the CMH system, such that we can describe the magnetic vanishing condition and the CMH-equivalence, and derive precisely the geometric constraint conditions of the magnetic symplectic form for the dynamical vector field of the CMH system, which are called the Type I and Type II of Hamilton-Jacobi equation. Se…
We treat the vakonomic dynamics with general constraints within a new geometric framework which will be appropriate to study optimal control problems. We compare our formulation with Vershik-Gershkovich one in the case of linear constraints. We show how nonholonomic mechanics also admits a new geometrical description wich enables us to develop an algorithm of comparison between the solutions of both dynamics. Some examples illustrating the theory are treated.
We study Monge's optimal transportation problem, where the cost is given by optimal control cost. We prove the existence and uniqueness of an optimal map under certain regularity conditions on the Lagrangian, absolute continuity of the measures with respect to Lebesgue, and most importantly the absence of sharp abnormal minimizers. In particular, this result is applicable in the case of subriemannian manifolds with a 2-generating distribution and cost given by $d^2$, where $d$ is the subriemannian distance. Also, we discuss some properties of the optimal plan when abnormal minimizers are prese…
This is the second paper in a series of works devoted to nonholonomic Ricci flows. By imposing non-integrable (nonholonomic) constraints on the Ricci flows of Riemannian metrics we can model mutual transforms of generalized Finsler-Lagrange and Riemann geometries. We verify some assertions made in the first partner paper and develop a formal scheme in which the geometric constructions with Ricci flow evolution are elaborated for canonical nonlinear and linear connection structures. This scheme is applied to a study of Hamilton's Ricci flows on nonholonomic manifolds and related Einstein spaces…
This paper presents a geometric description on Lie algebroids of Lagrangian systems subject to nonholonomic constraints. The Lie algebroid framework provides a natural generalization of classical tangent bundle geometry. We define the notion of nonholonomically constrained system, and characterize regularity conditions that guarantee the dynamics of the system can be obtained as a suitable projection of the unconstrained dynamics. The proposed novel formalism provides new insights into the geometry of nonholonomic systems, and allows us to treat in a unified way a variety of situations, includ…
This paper studies the construction of geometric integrators for nonholonomic systems. We derive the nonholonomic discrete Euler-Lagrange equations in a setting which permits to deduce geometric integrators for continuous nonholonomic systems (reduced or not). The formalism is given in terms of Lie groupoids, specifying a discrete Lagrangian and a constraint submanifold on it. Additionally, it is necessary to fix a vector subbundle of the Lie algebroid associated to the Lie groupoid. We also discuss the existence of nonholonomic evolution operators in terms of the discrete nonholonomic Legendr…
We study the tracking of a trajectory for a nonholonomic system by recasting the problem as a constrained optimal control problem. The cost function is chosen to minimize the error in positions and velocities between the trajectory of a nonholonomic system and the desired reference trajectory, both evolving on the distribution which defines the nonholonomic constraints. The problem is studied from a geometric framework. Optimality conditions are determined by the Pontryagin Maximum Principle and also from a variational point of view, which allows the construction of geometric integrators. Exam…
This is a survey article, from the viewpoint of the completeness of the Marsden- Weinstein reduction, to introduce briefly some recent developments of the symmetric reductions and Hamilton-Jacobi theory of the regular controlled Hamiltonian systems, the nonholonomic controlled Hamiltonian systems and the controlled magnetic Hamiltonian systems. These research reveal the deeply internal relationships of the geometrical structures of phase spaces, the nonholonomic constraint, the dynamical vector fields and the controls of these systems.
This paper considers systems subject to nonholonomic constraints which are not uniform on the whole configuration manifold. When the constraints change, the system undergoes a transition in order to comply with the new imposed conditions. Building on previous work on the Hamiltonian theory of impact, we tackle the problem of mathematically describing the classes of transitions that can occur. We propose a comprehensive formulation of the Transition Principle that encompasses the various impulsive regimes of Hamiltonian systems. Our formulation is based on the partial symplectic formalism, whic…
