Classical Mechanics

• Preface.- Geometry of Motion.- Constraints and Lagrangian Coordinates.- Dynamics of a Point Mass.- Geometry of Masses.- Systems Dynamics.- The Lagrange Equations.- Precessions.- Variational Principles.- Bibliography.- Index.

From the book reviews: "This textbook is the outcome of the author's extensive teaching at the School of Engineering of the University of Rome. It presents the foundations of classical mechanics-from Newton's laws to Hamilton-Jacobi theory and calculus of variations-using solely the language of vector calculus and linear algebra, however, without sacrificing mathematical rigor. This approach together with the careful and pedagogical nature of the text makes the book, in particular, accessible to students of the applied sciences." (R. Steinbauer, Monatshefte fur Mathematik, Vol. 174, 2014) "The approach intends to be more mathematical and the choice of subjects will generally appeal more to mathematics and physics students. My overall impression is that the book is strong in its discussion of interesting applications of rigid body mechanics ... . Another strong point is the extremely rich collection of historical references in the bibliography." (Willy Sarlet, SIAM Review, Vol. 54 (3), 2012) "This work is a beautifully crafted overview of the foundations of classical mechanics ... . The text covers the classical topics ... and is couched in the language of vector calculus and linear algebra, making it accessible to graduate students in applied mathematics and physics. ... A remarkable feature of this book is the extensive bibliography, covering five centuries of mechanics ... . the experienced researcher in mechanics will find something new to enjoy in this book." (Joris Vankerschaver, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2012 e) "This volume is based on lectures given by the author on rational mechanics at the University of Rome over a period of more than a decade. The author has developed an approach to the subject that has a distinct flavor and a style of its own. ... target audience includes mathematics, physics and engineering students at advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate level. Each chapter has a 'Problems and Complements' section that includes exercises and additional exposition related to the contents of that chapter." (William J. Satzer, The Mathematical Association of America, April, 2011)