ISBN:038798643XBook Description
Symmetry has always played an important role in mechanics, from fundamental formulations of basic principles to concrete applications. The theme of the book is to develop the basic theory and applications of mechanics with an emphasis on the role of symmetry. In recent times, the interest in mechanics, and in symmetry techniques in particular, has accelerated because of developments in dynamical systems, the use of geometric methods and new applications to integrable and chaotic systems, control systems, stability and bifurcation, and the study of specific rigid, fluid, plasma and elastic systems. Introduction to Mechanics and Symmetry lays the basic foundation for these topics and includes numerous specific applications, making it beneficial to physicists and engineers. This text has specific examples and applications showing how the theory works, and up-to-date techniques, all of which makes it accessible to a wide variety of readers, expecially senior undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics, physics and engineering. For this second edition, the text has been rewritten and updated for clarity throughout, with a major revamping and expansion of the exercises. Internet supplements containing additional material are also available on-line./p>
Reviews From AMAZON.COM
certainly not for self-study
This review is for Engineers. The back cover of the book says that it is accessible to advanced undergrads... to engineers etc. I am doing PhD in engineering and I have taken many classes in Math (including differential geometry, topology, analysis, PDEs, abstract algebra) and Mechanics. With great difficulty
I read this book (about 50% of the book). It is not well-organized.
The theory is not carefully developed. For example, the first
chapter is one of the difficult chapters to understand all the
things as it tries to give the summary of the book. The Chapter
9 (on Lie groups) says that the definition on Lie Algebra is
in the Introduction (it is not clear whether it is in the Introduction of the chapter or in the Introduction of the
book). After seeing in the index, one can find that it is in the Introduction of the text. If a person is encountering this
kind of stuff for the first time, how will he remember what is given in the Chapter 1 (given the fact that Chapter 1 is the
one of the difficult chapters to read in this book). Do n't you think it is logical to give this important definition in Chapter 9 as the previous chapters does not require this definition.
The book may be suited for a class as the professor will guide
the students. But for self-study, I do not recommend this book.
Instead I recommend the book by Arnold. Though the book by
Arnold is not as sophisticated as Marsden, it gives nice
picture for an engineer.
whatch the index
I truely liked the book, but in the edition I have got, the whole index is messed up, i.e. you find the keyword a few pages below the page given in the index. Probably this blunder will not be repeated in coming up editions...I hope so, because the book is worth being used.