Mei Symmetry and Hojman Conserved Quantity of Nonholonomic Controllable Mechanical System

Abstract

A non-Noether conserved quantity, i.e., Hojman conserved quantity, constructed by using Mei symmetry for the nonholonomic controllable mechanical system, is presented. Under general infinitesimal transformations, the determining equations of the special Mei symmetry, the constrained restriction equations, the additional restriction equations, and the definitions of the weak Mei symmetry and the strong Mei symmetry of the nonholonomic controllable mechanical system are given. The condition under which Mei symmetry is a Lie symmetry is obtained. The form of the Hojman conserved quantity of the corresponding holonomic mechanical system, the weak Hojman conserved quantity and the strong Hojman conserved quantity of the nonholonomic controllable mechanical system are obtained. An example is given to illustrate the application of the results.