2023 Students Enrolled in or before 2015 School of Science Physics
Classical Mechanics
- Academic unit or major
- Physics
- Instructor(s)
- Teruaki Suyama
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Mon (WL2-101(W611)) / 3-4 Thu (WL2-101(W611))
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- ZUB.Q203
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2023
- Offered quarter
- 2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 8, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Analytical mechanics is the mathematically sophisticated reformulation of Newtonian mechanics and consists of Lagrangian mechanics and Hamiltonian mechanics. Not only does analytical mechanics enable us to solve problems efficiently, but it also opens up a route leading to quantum mechanics.
The objective of this course is to learn the following subjects in Lagrangian mechanics and Hamiltonian mechanics.
Course description and aims
- Being able to express and solve problems of mechanics with the use of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian.
- Being able to explain roles of symmetry in physics.
Keywords
Lagrangian, Hamiltonian, symmetry
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Basic concepts and formulations are explained in lecture classes.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Equations of Motion and Coordinate Systems | Understand contents and results in each class and should be able to derive and explain them by oneself. |
| Class 2 | Euler-Lagrange Equation | |
| Class 3 | Generalized Coordinates and Covariance | |
| Class 4 | Principle of Least Action | |
| Class 5 | Construction of Lagrangians | |
| Class 6 | Symmetries and Conversation Laws | |
| Class 7 | Treatment of Constraints | |
| Class 8 | Small Oscillations | |
| Class 9 | Phase Space and Canonical Equations | |
| Class 10 | Canonical Transformations | |
| Class 11 | Liouville's Theorem | |
| Class 12 | Infinitesimal Transformations and Conserved Quantities | |
| Class 13 | Poisson Bracket | |
| Class 14 | Hamilton-Jacobi Equation |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
None.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Landau-Lifshitz, Mechanics
Evaluation methods and criteria
Evaluated based on final examination.
Related courses
- ZUB.Q212 ： Exercises in Classical Mechanics
- ZUB.Q204 ： Quantum Mechanics I
Prerequisites
Concurrent registration for the exercise class is highly recommended.