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Article Contents

# Nonholonomic Hamilton-Jacobi equation and integrability

• We discuss an extension of the Hamilton-Jacobi theory to nonholonomic mechanics with a particular interest in its application to exactly integrating the equations of motion. We give an intrinsic proof of a nonholonomic analogue of the Hamilton-Jacobi theorem. Our intrinsic proof clarifies the difference from the conventional Hamilton-Jacobi theory for unconstrained systems. The proof also helps us identify a geometric meaning of the conditions on the solutions of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation that arise from nonholonomic constraints. The major advantage of our result is that it provides us with a method of integrating the equations of motion just as the unconstrained Hamilton-Jacobi theory does. In particular, we build on the work by Iglesias-Ponte, de Léon, and Martín de Diego [15] so that the conventional method of separation of variables applies to some nonholonomic mechanical systems. We also show a way to apply our result to systems to which separation of variables does not apply.
Mathematics Subject Classification: Primary: 70F25, 70H06, 70H20; Secondary: 37N05.

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