A translation of the highly acclaimed text by Roberto Tenenbaum (originally published in Portuguese). Tenenbaum's book covers the full range of topics included in a complete basic course designed for undergraduate students in engineering. Requiring no more than a basic course in calculus, the text employs an intuitive approach, from the point of view of Newtonian mechanics, that avoids the complications of Hamiltonian and Lagrangian formalism. The balance between analysis and practical examples also avoids the tendency of other engineering- oriented texts to assume an antipathy towards abstract thinking among engineers. The analytical approach, presented in a simple but rigorous way, gives the required tools for modeling novel practical situations.

Review

From the reviews:

"[Fundamentals of Applied Dynamics] contains a large number of examples treated in great detail... The author takes great pains to carefully examine all the points touched upon ... The material is presented in a very systematic way, almost always going from the general to the more particular. The text is extremely clear and consistent, and all the figures are of excellent quality... The careful, authoritative and comprehensive way in which the material is presented reflects the long experience of the author in teaching dynamics to generations of students." Peter Hagedorn, Darmstadt University of Technology

From the reviews:

"One of the problems of teaching physics and engineering … is that there is insufficient time in a typical course to study the … subject in detail. The strength of this book is that it does just that. … The subject matter is very carefully introduced … . copiously illustrated with figures and worked examples and there is an extensive set of exercises. … the book is extremely readable. … a welcome addition to any university library." (Professor J. Hugill, Contemporary Physics, Vol. 46(4), 2005)

"Provides students with all of the essential knowledge they need to solve problems in classical mechanics. … Precise notation and consistent methodology are used … . there is a valuable index. … fascinatingly useful to undergraduate students in engineering courses. … One can fully appreciate the remarkable and splendid value evident in this contribution. A stimulating introduction to the book is provided … . a solid base for a graduate course on analytical mechanics." (Current Engineering Practice, Vol. 47, 2004-2005)

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

Whether it is analyzing the stability of an underwater robot or predicting the trajectory of a satellite, today’s engineers are solving increasingly difficult and unconventional problems in dynamics. "Fundamentals of Applied Dynamics" provides students with all of the foundations they need to solve problems in Newtonian mechanics. The author’s unique, methodological approach also helps students to develop their problem-solving, abstract thinking, and spatial relations skills.

In each chapter, general concepts are presented first, followed by illustrated examples and worked problems. Notation and methodology are consistently presented whenever possible, so that the student will recognize principles common to particle dynamics, system dynamics, and rigid body dynamics. The text is complemented by over XXX figures, and early XXX problems help students to strengthen their skills. A supplementary website with MAPLE animations is available at http://www.springer.com/physics/classical+continuum+physics/book/978-0-387-00887-5.

Fundamentals of Applied Dynamics covers Newtonian mechanics, without Hamiltonian or Lagrangian formalism. No further knowledge other than one year of calculus is required.

Dr. Roberto Tenenbaum has over 30 years of teaching experience. He is a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Some praise for the original edition:

"[Fundamentals of Applied Dynamics] contains a large number of examples treated in great detail... The author takes great pains to carefully examine all the points touched upon ... The material is presented in a very systematic way, almost always going from the general to the more particular. The text is extremely clear and consistent, and all the figures are of excellent quality... The careful, authoritative and comprehensive way in which the material is presented reflects the long experience of the author in teaching dynamics to generations of students."

-PETER HAGEDORN, DARMSTADT UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY