Newtonian Dynamics

This book presents the core theory of classical mechanics in a clear, informal manner. Designed for intermediate mechanics courses or for professionals, it teaches the analytical techniques that practicing physicists use on the back of an envelope, such as approximations, dimensional analysis. And expansions. Examples are used to develop analytical techniques, end-of-chapter problems provide in the techniques, and an appendix offers an annotated list of twenty seven techniques and where in the book they are used. Problems that extend the theory are flagged in the margin for easy identification. Equations that are particularly important, either as starting points or as results of analyses, are starred in the margin, so that readers can distinguish the most significant material. Chapter 3, on nonlinear oscillators, provides an introduction to an often neglected bu increasingly important topic. Throughout the book, explanations of particularly difficult theory are always followed by an illustration of how the principle works in practice. An average of two worked examples are placed at the end of each chapter, before, the problems. Each chapter concludes with a summary restating the major ideas and setting the chapter in perspective. Ralph Baierlein was Charlotte Ayres Professor of Physics at Wesleyan University. He has written papers on astrophysics, cosmology, relativity theory, superconductivity, statistical mechanics, magnetohydrodynamics, and biophysics.