Geometric Mechanics. Part II Rotating, Translating and Rolling : Imperial College Press : 9781848167780 : 1848167784 : 02 Nov 2011 : This textbook introduces the tools and language of modern geometric mechanics to advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in mathematics, physics, and engineering. It treats the dynamics of rotating, spinning and rolling rigid bodies from a geometric viewpoint, by formulating their solutions as coadjoint motions generated by Lie groups. The only prerequisites are linear algebra, multivariable calculus and some familiarity with Euler?Lagrange variational principles and canonical Poisson brackets in classical mechanics at the beginning undergraduate level.Variational calculus on tangent spaces of Lie groups is explained in the context of familiar concrete examples. Through these examples, the student develops skills in performing computational manipulations, starting from vectors and matrices, working through the theory of quaternions to under