Geometric, Control and Numerical Aspects of Nonholonomic Systems

Jorge Cortés Monforte (auth.)3540441549, 9783540441540

Nonholonomic systems are a widespread topic in several scientific and commercial domains, including robotics, locomotion and space exploration. This work sheds new light on this interdisciplinary character through the investigation of a variety of aspects coming from several disciplines. The main aim is to illustrate the idea that a better understanding of the geometric structures of mechanical systems unveils new and unknown aspects to them, and helps both analysis and design to solve standing problems and identify new challenges. In this way, separate areas of research such as Classical Mechanics, Differential Geometry, Numerical Analysis or Control Theory are brought together in this study of nonholonomic systems.

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Table of contents :
Front Matter….Pages I-XV
1. Introduction….Pages 1-12
2. Basic geometric tools….Pages 13-37
3. Nonholonomic systems….Pages 39-61
4. Symmetries of nonholonomic systems….Pages 63-102
5. Chaplygin systems….Pages 103-120
6. A class of hybrid nonholonomic systems….Pages 121-140
7. Nonholonomic integrators….Pages 141-170
8. Control of mechanical systems….Pages 171-202
References….Pages 203-216
Index….Pages 217-219
Back Matter….Pages 203-224