Chandra Mathematical Physics And Newtonian Mechanics

There are many applications of mathematical physics in several fields of basic science and engineering. Thus, we have tried to provide the Special Issue “Modern Problems of Mathematical Physics and Their Applications” to cover the new advances of mathematical physics and its applications.

Microlocal analysis is a field of mathematics that was invented in the mid-20th century for the detailed investigation of problems from partial differential equations, which incorporated and made rigorous many ideas that originated in physics. Since then it has grown to a powerful machine which is used in global analysis, spectral theory, mathematical physics and other fields, and its further development is a lively area of current mathematical research. In this book extended abstracts of the conference 'Microlocal Methods in Mathematical Physics and Global Analysis', which was held at the University of Tübingen from the 14th to the 18th of June 2011, are collected.​

Classical mechanics is the basis for any university-level study of technical-scientific disciplines. But most existing manuals use a technological and engineering approach, with basic aspects sometimes insufficiently highlighted. This book introduces the concepts and applications of classical mechanics into Newtonian formalism. Newtonian dynamics is useful for solving applied physics and engineering problems, but also a fascinating theory anchored in questions posed since the times of the Greek philosophers, regarding space, the flow of time, measurable physical quantities, the physical principles with the mathematical structure needed to describe the Universe, etc. The author aims to encourage students to think about these fundamental aspects and how they will be addressed in modern physics, including the successes and limitations of Newton's mechanics. The book is designed to mirror the progress of the students using it, with earlier chapters assuming no more than basic high school instruction and later ones geared toward subsequent enhanced understanding. The book is designed for students of undergraduate programs in physics, mathematics, chemistry, and engineering who will deal with modern physics, as they will benefit from an approach in which the aspects of classical mechanics are introduced in a propaedeutic approach towards relativistic physics and quantum mechanics.

This textbook aims at introducing readers, primarily students enrolled in undergraduate Mathematics or Physics courses, to the topics and methods of classical Mathematical Physics, including Classical Mechanics, its Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations, Lyapunov stability, plus the Liouville theorem and the Poincaré recurrence theorem among others. The material also rigorously covers the theory of Special Relativity. The logical-mathematical structure of the physical theories of concern is introduced in an axiomatic way, starting from a limited number of physical assumptions. Special attention is paid to themes with a major impact on Theoretical and Mathematical Physics beyond Analytical Mechanics, such as the Galilean symmetry of classical Dynamics and the Poincaré symmetry of relativistic Dynamics, the far-fetching relationship between symmetries and constants of motion, the coordinate-free nature of the underpinning mathematical objects, or the possibility of describing Dynamics in a global way while still working in local coordinates.

Newtonian mechanics is taught aspart of every physics program for several reasons. It is a towering intellectual achievement; it has diverse applications; and it provides a context for teaching modelling and problem solving. This text gives equal prominence to all three missions.