ABSTRACT
This chapter begins our study of Hamiltonian mechanics. The basic structure of the classical theory will be given in the context of manifolds. We suggest that the reader have a good classical text available for comparison and additional insight, such as Whittaker [1959] or Goldstein [1950]. A re-reading of the Preview at this time may help motivate what follows. The treatment may seem unnecessarily abstract, but it is of ultimate benefit for a thorough understanding of a rigorous analysis of the applications in the later chapters.
