Multibody Mechanics and Visualization appeals to computer-savvy students who will acquire significant skills in mathematical and physical modelling of mechanical systems in the process of producing attractive computer simulations and animations.

The approachable style and clear presentation of this text will help readers grasp the essentials of: modeling the kinematics and dynamics of arbitrary multibody mechanisms; formulating a mathematical description of general motions of such mechanisms; implementing the description in a computer-graphics application for the animation/visualization of the movement.

Supported in the text in parallel with the theoretical presentation is the simulation and animation application Mambo.

The Mambo toolbox enables you to provide these specifications for mechanisms that would pose insurmountable algebraic challenges to manual calculation. Mambo works with the widely operated Maple mathematical software that can be downloaded from the Web and enables students to visualize the mechanical systems described in the text.

In the past hundred years investigators have learned the significance of complex behavior in deterministic systems. The potential applications of this discovery are as numerous as they are encouraging.This text clearly presents the mathematical foundations of chaotic dynamics, including methods and results at the forefront of current research. The book begins with a thorough introduction to dynamical systems and their applications. It goes on to develop the theory of regular and stochastic behavior in higher-degree-of-freedom Hamiltonian systems, covering topics such as homoclinic chaos, KAM theory, the Melnikov method, and Arnold diffusion. Theoretical discussions are illustrated by a study of the dynamics of small circumasteroidal grains perturbed by solar radiation pressure. With alternative derivations and proofs of established results substituted for those in the standard literature, this work serves as an important source for researchers, students and teachers.Skillfully combining in-depth mathematics and actual physical applications, this book will be of interest to the applied mathematician, the theoretical mechanical engineer and the dynamical astronomer alike.

Multibody Mechanics and Visualization is designed to appeal to computer-savvy students who will acquire significant skills in mathematical and physical modelling of mechanical systems in the process of producing attractive computer simulations and animations. The emphasis here is on general skills with all-round applicability rather than the ability to solve "cooked-up problems. The approachable style and clear presentation of this text will help you grasp the essentials of: modeling the kinematics and dynamics of arbitrary multibody mechanisms; formulating a mathematical description of general motions of such mechanisms; implementing the description in a computer-graphics application for the animation/visualization of the movement. Multibody Mechanics and Visualization plays down the prediction of dynamics by formal analysis of differential equations while preparing its students to perform such analyses with greater understanding later. The text relies on the following principles for effective tuition: an inductive approach to learning - discerning general patterns from particular observations; repetition and review of important principles to reinforce your learning through numerous examples; obvious visual guidance that shows you at a glance which information you need for different levels of understanding; computer tools, visual representations and elements of active learning integrated into the text to suit the way you want to learn. Supported in the text in parallel with the theoretical presentation is the simulation and animation application Mambo. In contrast with existing commercially available educational software tools, Mambo requires detailed input from you in order to define the specific geometry of a mechanism as well as the differential equations governing its behavior while allowing you to visualize the results of your efforts. The Mambo toolbox enables you to provide these specifications for mechanisms that would pose insurmountable algebraic challenges to manual calculation. With these tools, you will be able to see the implications of decisions made throughout the modeling process, to check your mathematical analyses, and to enjoy the fruit of your labor Mambo can be freely downloaded from the author's website and runs under any version of MS Windows(r). The toolbox is compatible with the Maple software environment and the Matlab(r) extended symbolic toolbox."