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Re: Differences between a configuration space and a phase spacePosted by DickT on November 13, 2002 at 10:48:12: In Reply to: Differences between a configuration space and a phase space posted by sepiraph on November 12, 2002 at 23:39:43: sepiraph, In a system of n particle in 3-dimensional space with k equations limiting how the particles can move, you can define 3n-k new variables that will express the configurations of the particles. The configuration space is the space in which rhese new variables are the coordinates. Thus each point in it represents a unique configuration of the particles. This is the simplest case, the configuration space can be generalized for cases where the physical system is macroscopic bodies. In Hamiltonian dynamics of such a particle system you define for each particle a generalized coordinate vector q with 3 components and a generalized momentum vector p, also with 3 components. Phase space is the space of these 6n components as coordinates. A state of the system is represented by a p and a q vector value for each point. That is by numeric values for the 6n components of the vectors, that is further a point in phase space. Moreover an evolution of states of the system corresponds to a path in the phase space. Regards, Follow Ups: (Reload page to see most recent)
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