MEAM 535

University of Pennsylvania
1
Holonomic and Nonholonomic Constraints
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Holonomic Constraints
Constraints on the position
(configuration) of a system of particles
are called holonomic constraints.
z Constraints in which time explicitly
enters into the constraint equationare
called rheonomic.
z Constraints in which time is not
explicitly present are called
scleronomic.
Note: Inequalities do not constrain the position in
the same way as equality constraints do.
Rosenberg classifies inequalities as nonholonomic
constraints.
z Particle is constrained to lie on a
plane:
A x
1
+ B x
2
+ C x
3
+ D = 0
z A particle suspended from a string
in three dimensional space.
(x
1
a)
2
+(x
2
b)
2
+(x
3
c)
2
r
2
= 0
z A particle on spinning platter
(carousel)
x
1
= a cos(t + ); x
2
= a sin(t + )
z A particle constrained to move on a
circle in three-dimensional space
whose radius changes with time t.
x
1
dx
1
+ x
2
dx
2
+ x
3
dx
3
- c
2
dt = 0
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Holonomic Constraint
x
1
x
2
x
3
Configuration space
f(x
1
, x
2
, x
3
)=0
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Scleronomic and Rheonomic
t
Scleronomic
f(x
1
, x
2
)=0
x
1
f(x
1
, x
2
)=0
x
2
Configuration space
x
1
x
2
Rheonomic
f(x
1
, x
2
, t)=0
f(x
1
, x
2
, t
1
)=0
f(x
1
, x
2
, t
2
)=0
f(x
1
, x
2
, t
3
)=0
f(x
1
, x
2
, t
4
)=0
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Nonholonomic Constraints
z A particle constrained to move on a
circle in three-dimensional space
whose radius changes with time t.
x
1
dx
1
+ x
2
dx
2
+ x
3
dx
3
- c
2
dt = 0
z The knife-edge constraint
Definition 1
z All constraints that are not
holonomic
Definition 2
z Constraints that constrain the
velocities of particles but not their
positions
We will use the second definition.
0 cos sin
3 2 3 1
= x x x x & &
u
x
1
x
2
x
3
C
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When is a constraint on the motion nonholonomic?
Velocity constraint
Or constraint on instantaneous motion
Question
Can the above equation can be reduced
to the form:
f(x
1
, x
2
, ..., x
n-1
, t) = 0
P dx + Q dy + Rdz =0
3 dimensional case
0 ...
1 1 2 2 1 1
= + + + +
n n n
a x a x a x a & & &
(
(
(

=
R
Q
P
v
0 ...
1 1 2 2 1 1
= + + + +

dt a dx a dx a dx a
n n n
v
Pfaffian Form
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When is a scleronomic constraint on motion in a three-dimensional
configuration space nonholonomic?
Velocity constraint
Or constraint in the Pfaffian form
P dx + Q dy + Rdz =0 (1)
Question
Can the above equation can be reduced
to the form:
f(x, y, z)=0
0 = + + z R y Q x P & & &
z If it is an exact differential, there
must exist a function f, such that
z
f
R
y
f
Q
x
f
P

= , ,
. , ,
z
Q
y
R
x
R
z
P
x
Q
y
P

Or,
Can we at least say when the differential
form (1) an exact differential?
z A sufficient condition for (1) to be
integrable is that the differential
form is an exact differential.
z The necessary and sufficient
conditions for this to be true is that
the first partial derivatives of P, Q,
and R with respect to x, y, and z
exist, and
df = P dx + Q dy + Rdz
Recall Stokes Theorem!
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When is a scleronomic constraint on motion in a three-dimensional
configuration space nonholonomic?
z If (2) is an exact differential, there
must exist a function g, such that
z The necessary and sufficient
conditions for this to be true is that
the first partial derivatives of P, Q,
and R with respect to x, y, and z
exist, and
z
g
R
y
g
Q
x
g
P

= , ,
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
.
,
,
P
z
Q
y
R
x
R
z
P
x
Q
y

Constraint in the Pfaffian form
P dx + Q dy + Rdz =0 (1)
Question
Can the above equation can be reduced
to the form:
f(x, y, z)=0
For the constraint to be integrable, it is
necessary and sufficient that there exist
an integrating factor (x, y, z), such that,
P dx + Q dy + Rdz =0 (2)
be an exact differential.
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When is a scleronomic constraint on motion in a three-dimensional
configuration space nonholonomic?
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
.
,
,
P
z
Q
y
R
x
R
z
P
x
Q
y

.
,
,
|
.
|

\
|

=
|
.
|

\
|

|
.
|

\
|

|
.
|

\
|

=
|
.
|

\
|

|
.
|

\
|

|
.
|

\
|

=
|
.
|

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|

|
.
|

\
|

y
R
z
Q
Q
z
R
y
z
P
x
R
R
x
P
z
y
P
x
Q
Q
x
P
y
v v =
(
(
(

=
R
Q
P
v
0 = v v
Necessary and sufficient condition for
(2) to be holonomic, provided v is a
well-behaved vector field and
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Examples
1. sin x
3
dx
1
- cos x
3
dx
2
= 0
(
(
(

=
0
cos
sin
3
3
x
x
v
2. 2x
2
x
3
dx
1
+ x
1
x
3
dx
2
+ x
1
x
2
dx
3
= 0
(
(
(

=
2 1
3 1
3 2
2
x x
x x
x x
v
x
1
(2x
2
x
3
dx
1
+ x
1
x
3
dx
2
+ x
1
x
2
dx
3
) = 0
d((x
1
)
2
x
2
x
3
) = 0
0
3 2 1
= x x x & & &
3.
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Holonomic
0 = v v
0 = v
P dx + Q dy + Rdz =0
Other nonholonomic constraints
Holonomic
Nonholonomic
Nonholonomic constraints in 3-D
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Extensions: 1. Multiple Constraints
dx
2
x
3
dx
1
= 0
and
dx
3
x
1
dx
2
= 0
Are the constraint equations non holonomic?
Individually: YES!
Together:

+ = = c dx ke x ke x
x x
1 2 3
2
2
1
2
2
1
,
dx
3
x
1
dx
2
= dx
3
x
1
(x
3
dx
1
) = 0
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Extensions 2: Constraints in > 3 generalized speeds
z n dimensional configuration space
z m independent constraints (i=1,..., m)
0
1
=

=
n
j
i j ij
dt b dx a
or

=
=
n
j
i j ij
b u a
1
0
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(c) Rolling disk.
Eliminate u
4
and u
5
in terms of u
1
, u
2
and u
3
.
( ) ( )
0
2 3 3 2 2 1 1
*
*
*
=
+ + + =
+ =
b b b b v
v v
R u u u
P C
C A
C A C A P A
Rolling constraint
0 =
P A
v
x
y
z
P
q
2
q
3
q
1
q
5
q
4
C
b
1
b
2
b
3
C*
e
1
e
2
e
3
a
1
a
2
a
3
0 sin cos sin sin
0 tan sin cos
2 1 5 2 1 4
3 2 2 1 5 1 4
= +
= + +
q q u q q u
Ru q Ru q u q u
m=2 constraints
n=5 generalized coordinates
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Frobenius Theorem: Generalization to n dimensons
n dimensional configuration space
m independent constraints (i=1,..., m)
The necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of m independent
equations of the form:
f
i
(x
1
, x
2
, ..., x
n
) = 0, i=1,..., m.
is that the following equations be satisfied:
where u
k
and w
l
are components of any two n vectors that lie in the null space of
the mxn coefficient matrix A = [a
ij
]:

=
=
n
j
j ij
dx a
1
0

= =
=
|
|
.
|

\
|

n
k
l k
n
l
l
ik
k
il
w u
x
a
x
a
1 1
0
, 0 , 0
1 1

= =
= =
n
j
j ij
n
j
j ij
w a u a
v
u
w
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Generalized Coordinates and Speeds
Holonomic Systems
Number of degrees of freedom of a system
in any reference frame
z the minimum number of variables to
completely specify the position of every
particle in the system in the chosen
reference
The variables are called generalized
coordinates
There can be no holonomic constraint
equations that restrict the values the
generalized coordinates can have.
q
1
, q
2
, ..., q
n
denote the generalized
coordinates for a system with n degrees of
freedom in a reference frame A.
n generalized coordinates specify the
position (configuration of the system)
The number of independent speeds is also
equal to n
In a system with n degrees of freedom in a
reference frame A, there are n scalar
quantities, u
1
, u
2
, ..., u
n
(for that reference
frame) called generalized speeds. They that
are related to the derivatives of the
generalized coordinates by :
where the nxn matrix Y = [Y
ij
] is non
singular and Z is a nx1 vector.
( ) ( ) t q q Z q t q q Y u
i
n
j
j ij i
,..., , ,..., ,
2 1
1
2 1
=
+ = &
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Example 1
Generalized Coordinates
q
1
, q
2
, q
3
, q
4
, q
5
Generalized Speeds
A

C
= u
1
b
1
+ u
2
b
2
+ u
3
b
3
u
4
= derivative of q
4
u
5
= derivative of q
5
x
y
z
P
q
2
q
3
q
1
q
5
q
4
C
b
1
b
2
b
3
C*
Locus of the
point of contact Q on
the plane A
(
(
(
(
(
(

(
(
(
(
(
(

=
(
(
(
(
(
(

5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
q
q
q
q
q
u
u
u
u
u
&
&
&
&
&
Y
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Example 2
Generalized coordinates in A
z s,
Generalized speeds
Generalized speeds and derivatives of
generalized coordinates
Bug on the turntable

b
1
b
2
s

dt
dy
u
dt
dx
u
=
=
2
1
( ) ( ) t q q Z q t q q Y u
i
n
j
j ij i
,..., , ,..., ,
2 1
1
2 1
=
+ = &
Appears in
rheonomic constraints
a
2
a
1
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Nonholonomic Constraints are Written in Terms of Speeds
m constraints in n speeds
m speeds are written in terms of the n-m
(p) independent speeds
Define the number of degrees of
freedom for a nonholonomic system in a
reference frame A as p, the number of
independent speeds that are required to
completely specify the velocity of any
particle belonging to the system, in the
reference frame A.
( ) ( ) 0 ,..., , ,..., ,
2 1
1
2 1
= +

=
t q q D u t q q C
i
n
j
j ij
( ) ( ) 0 ,..., , ,..., ,
2 1
1
2 1
= + =

=
t q q B u t q q A u
i
p
k
k ik i
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Example 3
Number of degrees of freedom
z n m = 2 degrees of freedom
Generalized coordinates
z (x
1
, x
2
, x
3
)
Speeds
z forward velocity along the axis of
the skate, v
f
z the speed of rotation about the
vertical axis,
z and the lateral (skid) velocity in the
transverse direction, v
l
(
(
(

=
(
(
(

=
(
(
(

=
(
(
(

=
l
f
v
v
u
u
u
x
x
x
q
q
q
3
2
1
3
2
1
3
2
1
, u q
u
x
1
x
2
x
3
C
Z q Y u + = &
(
(
(

=
(
(
(

=
0
0
0
,
0 cos sin
1 0 0
0 sin cos
3 3
3 3
Z Y
x x
x x