Dynamical systems and anholonomic constraints

Hartley, David and Tucker, Robin and Tuckey, P. A. (1993) Dynamical systems and anholonomic constraints. Vistas in Astronomy, 37. pp. 265-268. ISSN 0083-6656

Abstract

The Dirac analysis of constrained Hamiltonian mechanics is one of the conventional precursors to the quantisation of classical systems. We reformulate this analysis in the language of exterior differential systems, starting from the Lagrangian, moving through the generation of primary and secondary constraints and leading to the construction of symmetry generators for gauge symmetries. This reformulation extends the procedure to systems involving anholonomic elements.