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This is a general description of a probabilistic formalism of mechanics, i.e., an extension of the Newtonian mechanics principles to the systems undergoing random motion. From an analysis of the induction procedure from experimental data to…
A system with anholonomic constraints where the trajectories of physical degrees of freedom are autoparallels on a manifold equipped with a general Cartan connection is discussed. A variational principle for the autoparallel trajectories is…
This paper proposes a theory for understanding perceptual learning processes within the general framework of laws of nature. Neural networks are regarded as systems whose connections are Lagrangian variables, namely functions depending on…
Variational principles play a central role in classical mechanics, providing compact formulations of dynamics and direct access to conserved quantities. While holonomic systems admit well-known action formulations, non-holonomic systems --…
The minimal work principle asserts that work done on a thermally isolated equilibrium system, is minimal for the slowest (adiabatic) realization of a given process. This principle, one of the formulations of the second law, is operationally…
Hamilton's principle of stationary action lies at the foundation of theoretical physics and is applied in many other disciplines from pure mathematics to economics. Despite its utility, Hamilton's principle has a subtle pitfall that often…
The dynamics of force free motion of pendulums on surfaces of constant Gaussian curvature is addressed when the pivot moves along a geodesic obtaining the Lagragian of the system. As a application it is possible the study of elastic and…
In elementary particle physics the philosophy of virtual particles is widely used. We use this philosophy to obtain the famous inverse square law of classical physics. We define a formal model without fields or forces, but with virtual…
We reconsider the variational integration of optimal control problems for mechanical systems based on a direct discretization of the Lagrange-d'Alembert principle. This approach yields discrete dynamical constraints which by construction…
This paper presents a formulation of Lagrangian dynamics of constrained mechanical systems in terms of reduced quasi-velocities and quasi-forces that can be used for simulation, analysis, and control purposes. In this formulation, Cholesky…
The fact that the equations of motion for matter remain invariant when a constant is added to the Lagrangian suggests postulating that the field equations of gravity should also respect this symmetry. This principle implies that: (1) the…
The classical motion of spinning particles can be described without employing Grassmann variables or Clifford algebras, but simply by generalizing the usual spinless theory. We only assume the invariance with respect to the Poincare' group;…
A multi-agent system designed to achieve distance-based shape control with flocking behavior can be seen as a mechanical system described by a Lagrangian function and subject to additional external forces. Forced variational integrators are…
Backpropagation is typically presented as a symbolic procedure: a backward pass topologically distinct from inference, with non-local error signals and synchronous global clocking, features with no clear analog in physical reality. Existing…
It is shown that a nonrelativistic mechanical system involving a general nonrelativistic potential V(|r1-r2|) between point particles at positions r1 and r2 can be extended to a Lagrangian system which is invariant under Lorentz…
We apply methods of the so-called `inverse problem of the calculus of variations' to the stabilization of an equilibrium of a class of two-dimensional controlled mechanical systems. The class is general enough to include, among others, the…
We study the problem of building an efficient learning system. Efficient learning processes information in the least time, i.e., building a system that reaches a desired error threshold with the least number of observations. Building upon…
Absolute space is eliminated from the body of mechanics by gauging translations and rotations in the Lagrangian of a classical system. The procedure implies the addition of compensating terms to the kinetic energy, in such a way that the…
Relativistic systems of particles interacting pairwise at a distance (interactions not mediated by fields) in flat spacetime are studied. It is assumed that the interactions propagate at the speed of light in vacuum and that all masses are…
This paper investigates a class of Lagrangian control systems with $n$ degrees-of-freedom (DOF) and n-1 actuators, assuming that $n-1$ virtual holonomic constraints have been enforced via feedback, and a basic regularity condition holds.…