Hamilton's Equations and Generating Function

In summary, the conversation discusses a transformation from p and q to P and Q, with a new Hamiltonian K. The main question is how to show that P and Q obey Hamilton's equations with Hamiltonian K. The person has tried differentiating both sides of the equation, but is unsure of which variables to consider as independent. The equation is also rewritten in a different form, but it is still unclear how to find the necessary partial derivatives.
  • #1
Tangent87
148
0
Say we have a Hamiltonian H(q,p,t) and we then transform from p and q to P=P(q,p,t) and Q=Q(q,p,t), with:

[tex]P\dot{Q}-K=p\dot{q}-H+\frac{d}{dt}F(q,p,Q,P,t)[/tex]

where K is the new Hamiltonian. How do we show that P and Q obey Hamilton's equations with Hamiltonian K? I have tried partial differentiating both sides of the above w.r.t Q and P but I'm not sure what to differentiate (i.e. do we consider p and q independent from P and Q?). I also expanded the big dF/dt but it didn't seem to help.
 
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  • #2
Anybody? I can rewrite the equation as

[tex]P\dot{Q}-K=p\dot{q}-H+\dot{q}\frac{\partial F}{\partial q}+\dot{p}\frac{\partial F}{\partial p}+\dot{q'}\frac{\partial F}{\partial q'}+\dot{p'}\frac{\partial F}{\partial p'}+\frac{\partial F}{\partial t}[/tex]

It doesn't seem to help me as I don't know whether to just partial differentiate both sides w.r.t p' and q' in an attempt to find [tex]\frac{\partial K}{\partial p'}[/tex] and [tex]\frac{\partial K}{\partial q'}[/tex] or if there's something more subtle needed?
 

Related to Hamilton's Equations and Generating Function

1. What are Hamilton's equations?

Hamilton's equations are a set of equations used in classical mechanics to describe the evolution of a system over time. They are derived from Hamilton's principle, which states that the path taken by a system between two points in time is the one that minimizes the action integral.

2. What is a generating function in the context of Hamilton's equations?

In the context of Hamilton's equations, a generating function is a special type of function that allows for the transformation of coordinates from one set to another. It is used to simplify the process of solving Hamilton's equations and can be either a function of the coordinates or the momenta of a system.

3. How do Hamilton's equations differ from Newton's equations of motion?

Hamilton's equations take a different approach to describing the motion of a system compared to Newton's equations of motion. While Newton's equations use forces and accelerations to describe the evolution of a system, Hamilton's equations use the concept of energy and momentum to describe the same motion.

4. What are the advantages of using Hamilton's equations over Newton's equations?

One of the main advantages of using Hamilton's equations is that they provide a more elegant and concise way of describing the motion of a system. They also take into account the conservation of energy and momentum, which can be useful in many physical scenarios. Additionally, Hamilton's equations are particularly useful for systems with a large number of degrees of freedom.

5. How are Hamilton's equations applied in real-world situations?

Hamilton's equations have many applications in physics, including in the study of classical mechanics, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics. They are also used in areas such as celestial mechanics, fluid dynamics, and control theory. They provide a powerful tool for understanding and analyzing the behavior of complex systems in a variety of fields.

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