Prof. Kai Lam publishes textbook on Classical Mechanics

Prof. Kai Lam

As the fourth textbook published by Dr. Lam, this Classical Mechanic textbook is written with the belief that classical mechanics, as a theoretical discipline, possesses an inherent beauty, depth, and richness that far transcends its immediate applications in mechanical systems. These properties are manifested, by and large, through the coherence and elegance of the mathematical structure underlying the discipline, and are eminently worthy of being communicated to physics students at the earliest stage possible. This volume is therefore addressed mainly to advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate physics students who are interested in the application of modern mathematical methods in classical mechanics, in particular, those derived from the fields of topology and differential geometry, and also to the occasional mathematics student who is interested in important physics applications of these areas of mathematics. Its main purpose is to offer an introductory and broad glimpse of the majestic edifice of the mathematical theory of classical dynamics, not only in the time-honored analytical tradition of Newton, Laplace, Lagrange, Hamilton, Jacobi, and Whittaker, but also the more topological/geometrical one established by Poincare, and enriched by Birkhoff, Lyapunov, Smale, Siegel, Kolmogorov, Arnold, and Moser (as well as many others).

lam cover: Fundamental Principles of Classical Mechanics

Prof. Lam earlier published the following textbooks:

(1) "Lectures on Differential Geometry", by S. S. Chern, W. H. Chen and Kai S. Lam (World Scientific 1999).

(2) "Topics in Contemporary Mathematical Physics", by Kai S. Lam (World Scientific, 2003, 2nd printing 2006).

(3) "Non-relativistic Quantum Theory: Dynamics, Symmetry, and Geometry", by Kai S. Lam (World Scientific, 2009).

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