Nonlinear nonholonomic systems: a simple approach and various examples

The main theme of the article is the study of discrete systems of material points subjected to constraints not only of a geometric type (holonomic constraints) but also of a kinematic type (nonholonomic constraints). The setting up of the equations of motion follows a simple principle which generalizes the holonomic case. Furthermore, attention is paid to the fact that the kinematic variables retain their velocity meaning, without resorting to the pseudo-velocity technique. Particular situations are examined in which the modeling of the constraints can be carried out in several ways to evaluate their effective equivalence. Numerous examples, many of which taken from the most recurring ones in the literature, are provided in order to illustrate the proposed theory.