Introduction to Mechanics and Symmetry: A Basic Exposition of Classical Mechanical Systems (Texts in Applied Mathematics, 17)

Pulls together advanced mechanics concepts including Lie-Poisson brackets, momentum maps, and Dirac constraint theory. Helpful if already familiar with mechanics at the Goldstein or Landau/Lifshitz level. Excellent preparation for relativistic energy-momentum map literature (not covered in book.)

As mathematically sophisticated as Arnold but, unlike Arnold, Marsden has the good grace to properly define fundamentals such as the various spaces and transformations used. The introductory exposition of similarities and differences of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics is most helpful and refreshing.

This review is for Engineers. The back cover of the book says that it is accessible to advanced undergrads... to engineers etc. I am doing PhD in engineering and I have taken many classes in Math (including differential geometry, topology, analysis, PDEs, abstract algebra) and Mechanics. With great difficultyI read this book (about 50% of the book). It is not well-organized.The theory is not carefully developed. For example, the firstchapter is one of the difficult chapters to understand all thethings as it tries to give the summary of the book. The Chapter9 (on Lie groups) says that the definition on Lie Algebra isin the Introduction (it is not clear whether it is in the Introduction of the chapter or in the Introduction of thebook). After seeing in the index, one can find that it is in the Introduction of the text. If a person is encountering thiskind of stuff for the first time, how will he remember what is given in the Chapter 1 (given the fact that Chapter 1 is theone of the difficult chapters to read in this book). Do n't you think it is logical to give this important definition in Chapter 9 as the previous chapters does not require this definition.The book may be suited for a class as the professor will guidethe students. But for self-study, I do not recommend this book.Instead I recommend the book by Arnold. Though the book byArnold is not as sophisticated as Marsden, it gives nicepicture for an engineer.