Quasivelocities and symmetries in non-holonomic systems

Abstract

This article is concerned with the theory of quasivelocities for non-holonomic systems. The equations of non-holonomic mechanics are derived using the Lagrange-d'Alembert principle written in an arbitrary configuration-dependent frame. The article also shows how quasivelocities may be used in the formulation of non-holonomic systems with symmetry. In particular, the use of quasivelocities in the analysis of symmetry that leads to unusual momentum conservation laws is investigated, as is the applications of these conservation laws and discrete symmetries to the qualitative analysis of non-holonomic dynamics. The relationship between asymptotic dynamics and discrete symmetries of the system is also elucidated.