Virtual displacement

One degree of freedom.

Two degrees of freedom.

Constraint force C and virtual displacement δr for a particle of mass m confined to a curve. The resultant non-constraint force is N. The components of virtual displacement are related by a constraint equation.

In analytical mechanics, a branch of applied mathematics and physics, a virtual displacement (or infinitesimal variation) $\delta \gamma$ shows how the mechanical system's trajectory can hypothetically (hence the term virtual) deviate very slightly from the actual trajectory $\gamma$ of the system without violating the system's constraints.^[1]^[2]^[3]^: 263 For every time instant $t,$ Failed to parse (Conversion error. Server ("https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_") reported: "Cannot get mml. Server problem."): {\displaystyle \delta \gamma (t)} is a vector tangential to the configuration space at the point Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \gamma(t).} The vectors Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \delta \gamma(t)} show the directions in which Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \gamma(t)} can "go" without breaking the constraints.

For example, the virtual displacements of the system consisting of a single particle on a two-dimensional surface fill up the entire tangent plane, assuming there are no additional constraints.

If, however, the constraints require that all the trajectories Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \gamma} pass through the given point Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \mathbf{q}} at the given time Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \tau,} i.e. $\gamma (\tau )=\mathbf {q} ,$ then Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \delta\gamma (\tau) = 0.}

Notations

Let Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle M} be the configuration space of the mechanical system, Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle t_0,t_1 \in \mathbb{R}} be time instants, Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle q_0,q_1 \in M,} Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle C^\infty[t_0, t_1]} consists of smooth functions on Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle [t_0, t_1]} , and

Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle P(M) = \{\gamma \in C^\infty([t_0,t_1], M) \mid \gamma(t_0)=q_0,\ \gamma(t_1)=q_1\}. }

The constraints Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \gamma(t_0)=q_0,} Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \gamma(t_1)=q_1} are here for illustration only. In practice, for each individual system, an individual set of constraints is required.

Definition

For each path Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \gamma \in P(M)} and Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \epsilon_0 > 0,} a variation of Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \gamma} is a function Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Gamma : [t_0,t_1] \times [-\epsilon_0,\epsilon_0] \to M} such that, for every Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \epsilon \in [-\epsilon_0,\epsilon_0],} Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Gamma(\cdot,\epsilon) \in P(M)} and Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Gamma(t,0) = \gamma(t).} The virtual displacement Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \delta \gamma : [t_0,t_1] \to TM} Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle (TM} being the tangent bundle of Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle M)} corresponding to the variation Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Gamma} assigns^[1] to every Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle t \in [t_0,t_1]} the tangent vector

Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \delta \gamma(t) = \left.\frac{d\Gamma(t,\epsilon)}{d\epsilon}\right|_{\epsilon=0} \in T_{\gamma(t)}M.}

In terms of the tangent map,

Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \delta \gamma(t) = \Gamma^t_*\left(\left.\frac{d}{d\epsilon}\right|_{\epsilon=0}\right). }

Here Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Gamma^t_*: T_0[-\epsilon,\epsilon] \to T_{\Gamma(t,0)}M = T_{\gamma(t)}M} is the tangent map of Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Gamma^t : [-\epsilon,\epsilon] \to M,} where Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Gamma^t(\epsilon) = \Gamma(t,\epsilon),} and Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \textstyle \frac{d}{d\epsilon}\Bigl|_{\epsilon = 0} \in T_0[-\epsilon,\epsilon].}

Properties

Coordinate representation. If Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \{q_i\}^n_{i=1}} are the coordinates in an arbitrary chart on Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle M} and Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle n = \dim M,} then Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \delta \gamma(t) = \sum^n_{i=1} \frac{d[q_i(\Gamma(t,\epsilon))]}{d\epsilon}\Biggl|_{\epsilon=0} \cdot \frac{d}{dq_i}\Biggl|_{\gamma(t)}. }
If, for some time instant Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \tau} and every Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \gamma \in P(M),} Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \gamma(\tau)=\text{const},} then, for every Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \gamma \in P(M),} Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \delta \gamma (\tau) = 0.}
If Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \textstyle \gamma,\frac{d\gamma}{dt} \in P(M),} then Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \delta \frac{d\gamma}{dt} = \frac{d}{dt}\delta \gamma.}

Examples

Free particle in R³

A single particle freely moving in Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \mathbb{R}^3} has 3 degrees of freedom. The configuration space is $M=\mathbb {R} ^{3},$ and $P(M)=C^{\infty }([t_{0},t_{1}],M).$ For every path $\gamma \in P(M)$ and a variation $\Gamma (t,\epsilon )$ of $\gamma ,$ there exists a unique $\sigma \in T_{0}\mathbb {R} ^{3}$ such that $\Gamma (t,\epsilon )=\gamma (t)+\sigma (t)\epsilon +o(\epsilon ),$ as $\epsilon \to 0.$ By the definition,

\delta \gamma (t)=\left.\left({\frac {d}{d\epsilon }}{\Bigl (}\gamma (t)+\sigma (t)\epsilon +o(\epsilon ){\Bigr )}\right)\right|_{\epsilon =0}

which leads to

\delta \gamma (t)=\sigma (t)\in T_{\gamma (t)}\mathbb {R} ^{3}.

Free particles on a surface

$N$ particles moving freely on a two-dimensional surface Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle S \subset \mathbb{R}^3} have Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle 2N} degree of freedom. The configuration space here is

Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle M = \{(\mathbf{r}_1, \ldots, \mathbf{r}_N) \in \mathbb{R}^{3\, N} \mid \mathbf{r}_i \in \mathbb{R}^3;\ \mathbf{r}_i \neq \mathbf{r}_j\ \text{if}\ i \neq j\}, }

where Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \mathbf{r}_i \in \mathbb{R}^3} is the radius vector of the Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle i^\text{th}} particle. It follows that

Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle T_{(\mathbf{r}_1, \ldots, \mathbf{r}_N)} M = T_{\mathbf{r}_1}S \oplus \ldots \oplus T_{\mathbf{r}_N}S, }

and every path Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \gamma \in P(M)} may be described using the radius vectors $\mathbf {r} _{i}$ of each individual particle, i.e.

Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \gamma (t) = (\mathbf{r}_1(t),\ldots, \mathbf{r}_N(t)).}

This implies that, for every Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \delta \gamma(t) \in T_{(\mathbf{r}_1(t), \ldots, \mathbf{r}_N(t))} M, }

Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \delta \gamma(t) = \delta \mathbf{r}_1(t) \oplus \ldots \oplus \delta \mathbf{r}_N(t),}

where Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \delta \mathbf{r}_i(t) \in T_{\mathbf{r}_i(t)} S.} Some authors express this as

Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \delta \gamma = (\delta \mathbf{r}_1, \ldots , \delta \mathbf{r}_N).}

Rigid body rotating around fixed point

A rigid body rotating around a fixed point with no additional constraints has 3 degrees of freedom. The configuration space here is Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle M = SO(3),} the special orthogonal group of dimension 3 (otherwise known as 3D rotation group), and Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle P(M) = C^\infty([t_0,t_1], M).} We use the standard notation Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \mathfrak{so}(3) } to refer to the three-dimensional linear space of all skew-symmetric three-dimensional matrices. The exponential map Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \exp : \mathfrak{so}(3) \to SO(3)} guarantees the existence of Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \epsilon_0 > 0} such that, for every path Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \gamma \in P(M),} its variation Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Gamma(t,\epsilon),} and Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle t \in [t_0,t_1],} there is a unique path Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Theta^t \in C^\infty([-\epsilon_0, \epsilon_0], \mathfrak{so}(3)) } such that Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Theta^t(0) = 0} and, for every Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \epsilon \in [-\epsilon_0,\epsilon_0],} Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Gamma(t,\epsilon) = \gamma(t)\exp(\Theta^t(\epsilon)).} By the definition,

Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \delta \gamma (t) = \left.\left(\frac{d}{d\epsilon} \Bigl(\gamma(t) \exp(\Theta^t(\epsilon))\Bigr)\right)\right|_{\epsilon=0} = \gamma(t) \left.\frac{d\Theta^t(\epsilon)}{d\epsilon}\right|_{\epsilon=0}. }

Since, for some function Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \sigma : [t_0,t_1]\to \mathfrak{so}(3),} Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Theta^t(\epsilon) = \epsilon\sigma(t) + o(\epsilon)} , as Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \epsilon \to 0} ,

Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \delta \gamma (t) = \gamma(t)\sigma(t) \in T_{\gamma(t)}\mathrm{SO}(3). }

References

^ ^1.0 ^1.1 Takhtajan, Leon A. (2017). "Part 1. Classical Mechanics". Classical Field Theory (PDF). Department of Mathematics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY.
^ Goldstein, H.; Poole, C. P.; Safko, J. L. (2001). Classical Mechanics (3rd ed.). Addison-Wesley. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-201-65702-9.
^ Torby, Bruce (1984). "Energy Methods". Advanced Dynamics for Engineers. HRW Series in Mechanical Engineering. United States of America: CBS College Publishing. ISBN 0-03-063366-4.

[TakhtajanClassicalFieldTheory2017-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Takhtajan, Leon A. (2017). "Part 1. Classical Mechanics". Classical Field Theory (PDF). Department of Mathematics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY.

[Goldstein2001-2] Goldstein, H.; Poole, C. P.; Safko, J. L. (2001). Classical Mechanics (3rd ed.). Addison-Wesley. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-201-65702-9.

[Torby1984-3] Torby, Bruce (1984). "Energy Methods". Advanced Dynamics for Engineers. HRW Series in Mechanical Engineering. United States of America: CBS College Publishing. ISBN 0-03-063366-4.

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