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6. Euler Angles and Variational Calculus

Course week(s) 6. Euler Angles and Variational Calculus

First, the usual recapitulation of the previous module is given. Then, Euler angles are introduced to describe the orientation of a body in space. The equation for kinetic energy of a rotating body is now rewritten by using Euler angles. Gyrodynamics is discussed, as well as steady precession. The concept of steady precession is elaborated in the course handout (link below).

After that, variational calculus is introduced. Also, natural boundary conditions for variational calculus are introduced.

Corresponding to the variational calculus discussed in this module, a sample problem is given to illustrate the use of functionals (see the exercises of this module).

Read more
Slides: Module 6 lecture 1
Slides: Module 6 lecture 2
Course handout: steady procession example
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