Contact Hamiltonian dynamics is a subject that has still a short history, but with relevant applications in many areas: thermodynamics, cosmology, control theory, and neurogeometry, among others. In recent years there has been a great effort to study this type of dynamics both in theoretical aspects and in its potential applications in geometric mechanics and mathematical physics. This paper is intended to be a review of some of the results that the authors and their collaborators have recently obtained on the subject.
We present a unified geometric framework for describing both the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms of contact autonomous mechanical systems, which is based on the approach of the pionnering work of R. Skinner and R. Rusk. This framework permits to skip the second order differential equation problem, which is obtained as a part of the constraint algorithm (for singular or regular Lagrangians), and is specially useful to describe singular Lagrangian systems. Some examples are also discussed to illustrate the method.
We present a geometric Lagrangian formulation for first-order field theories with dissipation. This formulation is based on the $k$-contact geometry introduced in a previous paper, and gathers contact Lagrangian mechanics with $k$-symplectic Lagrangian field theory together. We also study the symmetries and dissipation laws for these nonconservative theories, and analyze some examples.
In the present paper, we introduce para-quaternionic Kaehler analogue of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanical systems. Finally, the geometrical-physical results related to para-quaternionic Kaehler mechanical systems are also given.
We describe geometrically contact Lagrangian systems under impulsive forces and constraints, as well as instantaneous nonholonomic constraints which are not uniform along the configuration space. In both situations, the vector field describing the dynamics of a contact Lagrangian system is determined by defining projectors to evaluate the constraints by using a Riemannian metric. In particular, we introduce the Herglotz equations for contact Lagrangian systems subject to instantaneous nonholonomic constraints. Moreover, we provide a Carnot-type theorem for contact Lagrangian systems subject to…
After a brief survey of the definition and the properties of Lambda-symmetries in the general context of dynamical systems, the notion of "Lambda-constant of motion'' for Hamiltonian equations is introduced. If the Hamiltonian problem is derived from a Lambda-invariant Lagrangian, it is shown how the Lagrangian Lambda-invariance can be transferred into the Hamiltonian context and shown that the Hamiltonian equations turn out to be Lambda-symmetric. Finally, the "partial'' (Lagrangian) reduction of the Euler-Lagrange equations is compared with the reduction obtained for the corresponding Hamilt…
We show that the contact dynamics obtained from the Herglotz variational principle can be described as a constrained nonholonomic or vakonomic ordinary Lagrangian system depending on a dissipative variable with an adequate choice of one constraint. As a consequence we obtain the dynamics of contact nonholonomic and vakonomic systems as ordinary variational calculus with constraints on a Lagrangian with a dissipative variable. The variation of the energy and the other dissipative quantities are also obtained giving the usual results.
We provide new insights into the contact Hamiltonian and Lagrangian formulations of dissipative mechanical systems. In particular, we state a new form of the contact dynamical equations, and we review two recently presented Lagrangian formalisms, studying their equivalence. We define several kinds of symmetries for contact dynamical systems, as well as the notion of dissipation laws, prove a dissipation theorem and give a way to construct conserved quantities. Some well-known examples of dissipative systems are discussed.
Second-order Lagrangian densities admitting a first-order Hamiltonian formalism are studied; namely, i) for each second-order Lagrangian density on an arbitrary fibred manifold $p\colon E\to N$ the Poincaré-Cartan form of which is projectable onto $J^1E$, by using a new notion of regularity previously introduced, a first-order Hamiltonian formalism is developed for such a class of variational problems; ii) the existence of first-order equivalent Lagrangians are discussed from a local point of view as well as global; iii) this formalism is then applied to classical Einstein-Hilbert Lagrangian a…
Applied to field theory, the familiar symplectic technique leads to instantaneous Hamiltonian formalism on an infinite-dimensional phase space. A true Hamiltonian partner of first order Lagrangian theory on fibre bundles $Y\to X$ is covariant Hamiltonian formalism in different variants, where momenta correspond to derivatives of fields relative to all coordinates on $X$. We follow polysymplectic (PS) Hamiltonian formalism on a Legendre bundle over $Y$ provided with a polysymplectic $TX$-valued form. If $X=\mathbb R$, this is a case of time-dependent non-relativistic mechanics. PS Hamiltonian f…
We present several results on the inverse problem and equivalent contactLagrangian systems. These problems naturally lead to consider smooth transformations on the z variable (i.e., reparametrizations of the action). We present the extended contact Lagrangian systems to formalize this notion. With this structure we define horizontal equivalence of Lagrangians, which generalizes the symplectic case. We also present some results on the inverse problem for extended contact systems.
We are proposing Tulczyjew's triple for contact dynamics. The most important ingredients of the triple, namely symplectic diffeomorphisms, special symplectic manifolds, and Morse families, are generalized to the contact framework. These geometries permit us to determine so-called generating family (obtained by merging a special contact manifold and a Morse family) for a Legendrian submanifold. Contact Hamiltonian and Lagrangian Dynamics are recast as Legendrian submanifolds of the tangent contact manifold. In this picture, the Legendre transformation is determined to be a passage between two d…
In this paper, we propose a discrete Hamilton--Jacobi theory for (discrete) Hamiltonian dynamics defined on a (discrete) contact manifold. To this end, we first provide a novel geometric Hamilton--Jacobi theory for continuous contact Hamiltonian dynamics. Then, rooting on the discrete contact Lagrangian formulation, we obtain the discrete equations for Hamiltonian dynamics by the discrete Legendre transformation. Based on the discrete contact Hamilton equation, we construct a discrete Hamilton--Jacobi equation for contact Hamiltonian dynamics. We show how the discrete Hamilton--Jacobi equation…
The aim of this paper is to develop a Hamilton--Jacobi theory for contact Hamiltonian systems. We find several forms for a suitable Hamilton-Jacobi equation accordingly to the Hamiltonian and the evolution vector fields for a given Hamiltonian function. We also analyze the corresponding formulation on the symplectification of the contact Hamiltonian system, and establish the relations between these two approaches. In the last section, some examples are discussed.
The work is devoted to studying some new classical electrodynamics models of interacting charged point particles and the aspects of the quantization via the Dirac procedure related to them. Based on the vacuum field theory no-geometry approach developed in [6,7,9], the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian reformulations of some alternative classical electrodynamics models are devised. The Dirac-type quantization procedure for the considered alternative electrodynamics models, based on the obtained canonical Hamiltonian formulations, is developed.
In this paper we present canonical and canonoid transformations considered as global geometrical objects for Hamiltonian systems. Under the mathematical formalisms of symplectic, cosymplectic, contact and cocontact geometry, the canonoid transformations are defined for (co)symplectic, (co)contact Hamiltonian systems, respectively. The local characterizations of these transformations is derived explicitly and it is demonstrated that for a given canonoid transformation there exist constants of motion associated with it
In this paper we address the problem of identifying contracting systems among dynamical systems appearing in mechanics. First, we introduce a sufficient condition to identify contracting systems in a general Riemannian manifold. Then, we apply this technique to establish that a particular type of dissipative forced mechanical system is contracting, while stating immediate consequences of this fact for the stability of these systems. Finally, we use the previous results to study the stability of particular types of Contact and Nonholonomic systems.
In this paper we propose a Hamilton-Jacobi theory for implicit contact Hamiltonian systems in two different ways. One is the understanding of implicit contact Hamiltonian dynamics as a Legendrian submanifold of the tangent contact space, and another is as a Lagrangian submanifold of a certain symplectic space embedded into the tangent contact space. In these two scenarios, we propose a Hamilton-Jacobi theory specifically derived with the aid of Herglotz Lagrangian dynamics generated by non-regular Lagrangian functions.
Submanifolds of a manifold are described as sections of a certain fiber bundle that enables one to consider their Lagrangian and (polysymplectic) Hamiltonian dynamics as that of a particular classical field theory. In particular, their Lagrangians and Hamiltonians must satisfy rather restrictive Noether identities. For instance, this is the case of relativistic mechanics and classical string theory.
The Lagrangian and Hamiltonian structures for an ideal gauge-charged fluid are determined. Using a Kaluza-Klein point of view, the equations of motion are obtained by Lagrangian and Poisson reductions associated to the automorphism group of a principal bundle. As a consequence of the Lagrangian approach, a Kelvin-Noether theorem is obtained. The Hamiltonian formulation determines a non-canonical Poisson bracket associated to these equations.
In this paper, we continue the construction of variational integrators adapted to contact geometry started in \cite{VBS}, in particular, we introduce a discrete Herglotz Principle and the corresponding discrete Herglotz Equations for a discrete Lagrangian in the contact setting. This allows us to develop convenient numerical integrators for contact Lagrangian systems that are conformally contact by construction. The existence of an exact Lagrangian function is also discussed.
In this paper we will present Lagrangian and Hamiltonian $k$-symplectic formalisms, we will recall the notions of symmetry and conservation law and we will define the notion of pseudosymmetry as a natural extension of symmetry. Using symmetries and pseudosymmetries, without the help of a Noether type theorem, we will obtain new kinds of conservation laws for $k$-symplectic Hamiltonian systems and $k$-symplectic Lagrangian systems.
We study the Hamiltonian formalisms of the second order degenerate Clèment and Sarıoğlu-Tekin Lagrangians. The Dirac-Bergmann constraint algorithm is employed while arriving at the total Hamiltonian functions and the Hamilton's equations on the associated momemtum phase spaces whereas the Gotay-Nester-Hinds algorithm is run while investigating the Skinner-Rusk unified formalism on the proper Whitney bundles.
In this paper we discuss singular Lagrangian systems on the framework of contact geometry. These systems exhibit a dissipative behavior in contrast with the symplectic scenario. We develop a constraint algorithm similar to the presymplectic one studied by Gotay and Nester (the geometrization of the well-known Dirac-Bergman algorithm). We also construct the Hamiltonian counterpart and prove the equivalence with the Lagrangian side. A Dirac-Jacobi bracket is constructed similar to the Dirac bracket.
In this paper we study Hamiltonian systems on contact manifolds, which is an appropriate scenario to discuss dissipative systems. We prove a coisotropic reduction theorem similar to the one in symplectic mechanics.
We study Lagrangian systems with a finite number of degrees of freedom that are non-local in time. We obtain an extension of Noether theorem and Noether identities to this kind of Lagrangians. A Hamiltonian formalism is then set up for this systems. $n$-order local Lagrangians can be treated as a particular case and the standard results for them are recovered. The method is then applied to several other cases, namely two examples of non-local oscillators and the p-adic particle.
The aim of the present text is twofold: to provide a compendium of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian geometries and to introduce and investigate new analytical Mechanics: Finslerian, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian. The fundamental equations (or evolution equations) of these Mechanics are derived from the variational calculus applied to the integral of action and these can be studied by using the methods of Lagrangian or Hamiltonian geometries. More general, the notions of higher order Lagrange or Hamilton spaces have been introduced and developed by the present author. The applications led to the notions…
A calculation is presented that shows that Feynman's path integral implies Ostrogradsky's Hamiltonian for nonsingular Lagrangians with second derivatives. The procedure employs the stationary phase approximation to obtain the limiting change of the wave function per unit time. By way of introduction, the method is applied anew to the case of nonsingular Lagrangians with only first derivatives, but not necessarily quadratic in the velocities. A byproduct of the calculation is an alternate derivation of the Legendre transformation of taking general classical Lagrangians into Hamiltonians. In bot…
The Lagrangian-Hamiltonian unified formalism of R. Skinner and R. Rusk was originally stated for autonomous dynamical systems in classical mechanics. It has been generalized for non-autonomous first-order mechanical systems, as well as for first-order and higher-order field theories. However, a complete generalization to higher-order mechanical systems has yet to be described. In this work, after reviewing the natural geometrical setting and the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms for higher-order autonomous mechanical systems, we develop a complete generalization of the Lagrangian-Hamiltoni…
The Lagrangian representation of multi-Hamiltonian PDEs has been introduced by Y. Nutku and one of us (MVP). In this paper we focus on systems which are (at least) bi-Hamiltonian by a pair $A_1$, $A_2$, where $A_1$ is a hydrodynamic-type Hamiltonian operator. We prove that finding the Lagrangian representation is equivalent to finding a generalized vector field $τ$ such that $A_2=L_τA_1$. We use this result in order to find the Lagrangian representation when $A_2$ is a homogeneous third-order Hamiltonian operator, although the method that we use can be applied to any other homogeneous Hamilton…
In some previous papers, a Legendre duality between Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Mechanics has been developed. The (ρ,η)-tangent application of the Legendre bundle morphism associated to a Lagrangian L or Hamiltonian H is presented. Using that, a Legendre description of Lagrangian Mechanics and Hamiltonian Mechanics is developed. Duality between Lie algebroids structure, adapted (ρ,η)-basis, distinguished linear (ρ,η)-connections and mechanical (ρ,η)-systems is the scope of this paper. In the particular case of Lie algebroids, new results are presented. In the particular case of the usual Lie al…
In this paper we present a unified Lagrangian--Hamiltonian geometric formalism to describe time-dependent contact mechanical systems, based on the one first introduced by K. Kamimura and later formalized by R. Skinner and R. Rusk. This formalism is especially interesting when dealing with systems described by singular Lagrangians, since the second-order condition is recovered from the constraint algorithm. In order to illustrate this formulation, some relevant examples are described in full detail: the Duffing equation, an ascending particle with time-dependent mass and quadratic drag, and a c…
For an integrable Hamiltonian system we construct a representation of the phase space symmetry algebra over the space of functions on a Lagrangian manifold. The representation is a result of the canonical quantization of the integrable system in terms of separation variables. The variables are chosen in such way that a half of them parameterizes the Lagrangian manifold, which coincides with the Liouville torus of the integrable system. The obtained representation is indecomposable and non-exponentiated.
This article aims to study non-local Lagrangians with an infinite number of degrees of freedom. We obtain an extension of Noether's theorem and Noether's identities for such Lagrangians. We then set up a Hamiltonian formalism for them. In addition, we show that $n$-order local Lagrangians can be treated as a particular case and the standard results can be recovered. Finally, this formalism is applied to the case of $p$-adic open string field.
Motivated by various results on homogeneous geodesics of Riemannian spaces, we study homogeneous trajectories, i.e. trajectories which are orbits of a one-parameter symmetry group, of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian systems. We present criteria under which an orbit of a one-parameter subgroup of a symmetry group G is a solution of the Euler-Lagrange or Hamiltonian equations. In particular, we generalize the `geodesic lemma' known in Riemannian geometry to Lagrangian and Hamiltonian systems. We present results on the existence of homogeneous trajectories of Lagrangian systems. We study Hamiltonian a…
In this work we introduce contact Hamiltonian mechanics, an extension of symplectic Hamiltonian mechanics, and show that it is a natural candidate for a geometric description of non-dissipative and dissipative systems. For this purpose we review in detail the major features of standard symplectic Hamiltonian dynamics and show that all of them can be generalized to the contact case.
We generalize the Lagrangian-Hamiltonian formalism of Skinner and Rusk to higher order field theories on fiber bundles. As a byproduct we solve the long standing problem of defining, in a coordinate free manner, a Hamiltonian formalism for higher order Lagrangian field theories. Namely, our formalism does only depend on the action functional and, therefore, unlike previously proposed ones, is free from any relevant ambiguity.
I begin by giving a general discussion of completely integrable Hamiltonian systems in the setting of contact geometry. We then pass to the particular case of toric contact structures on the manifold $S^2\times S^3$. In particular we give a complete solution to the contact equivalence problem for a class of toric contact structures, $Y^{p,q}$, discovered by physicists by showing that $Y^{p,q}$ and $Y^{p',q'}$ are inequivalent as contact structures if and only if $p\neq p'$.
We propose a novel approach to contact Hamiltonian mechanics which, in contrast to the one dominating in the literature, serves also for non-trivial contact structures. In this approach Hamiltonians are no longer functions on the contact manifold M itself but sections of a line bundle over M or, equivalently, 1-homogeneous functions on a certain GL(1,R)-principal bundle P\to M which is equipped with a homogeneous symplectic form ω. In other words, our understanding of contact geometry is that it is not an `odd-dimensional cousin' of symplectic geometry but rather a part of the latter, namely `…
Guided by the symmetries of the Euler-Lagrange equations of motion, a study of the constrained dynamics of singular Lagrangians is presented. We find that these equations of motion admit a generalized Lie symmetry, and on the Lagrangian phase space the generators of this symmetry lie in the kernel of the Lagrangian two-form. Solutions of the energy equation\textemdash called second-order, Euler-Lagrange vector fields (SOELVFs)\textemdash with integral flows that have this symmetry are determined. Importantly, while second-order, Lagrangian vector fields are not such a solution, it is always po…
The investigation of contact symmetries of re--parametrization invariant Lagrangians of finite degrees of freedom and quadratic in the velocities is presented. The main concern of the paper is those symmetry generators which depend linearly in the velocities. A natural extension of the symmetry generator along the lapse function $N(t)$, with the appropriate extension of the dependence in $\dot{N}(t)$ of the gauge function, is assumed; this action yields new results. The central finding is that the integrals of motion are either linear or quadratic in velocities and are generated, respectively …
We prove that, under some natural conditions, Hamiltonian systems on a contact manifold $C$ can be split into a Reeb dynamics on an open subset of $C$ and a Liouville dynamics on a submanifold of $C$ of codimension 1. For the Reeb dynamics we find an invariant measure. Moreover, we show that, under certain completeness conditions, the existence of an invariant measure for the Liouville dynamics can be characterized using the notion of a symplectic sandwich with contact bread.
In this paper, we extend the well-known Noether theorem for Lagrangian systems to contact Lagrangian systems. We introduce a classification of infinitesimal symmetries and obtain the corresponding dissipated quantities. We notice that in contact dynamics, the existence of infinitesimal symmetries does not produce conserved quantities, but functions that dissipate at the same rate than the energy; so, the corresponding quotients are true conserved quantities.
There is a review of the main mathematical properties of system described by singular Lagrangians and requiring Dirac-Bergmann theory of constraints at the Hamiltonian level. The following aspects are discussed: i) the connection of the rank and eigenvalues of the Hessian matrix in the Euler-Lagrange equations with the chains of first and second class constraints; ii) the connection of the Noether identities of the second Noether theorem with the Hamiltonian constraints; iii) the Shanmugadhasan canonical transformation for the identification of the gauge variables and for the search of the Dir…
