Higher-order contact mechanics

Abstract

We present a complete theory of higher-order autonomous contact mechanics, which allows us to describe higher-order dynamical systems with dissipation. The essential tools for the theory are the extended higher-order tangent bundles, TkQ×R, whose geometric structures are previously introduced in order to state the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms for these kinds of systems, including their variational formulation. The variational principle, the contact forms, and the geometric dynamical equations are obtained by using those structures and generalizing the standard formulation of contact Lagrangian and Hamiltonian systems. As an alternative approach, we develop a unified description that encompasses the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian equations as well as their relationship through the Legendre map; all of them are obtained from the contact dynamical equations and the constraint algorithm that is implemented because, in this formalism, the dynamical systems are always singular. Some interesting examples are finally analysed using these geometric formulations.