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Classical Hamiltonian system

Set

definiendum $\langle \mathcal M, H\rangle \in \mathrm{it} $
postulate $ \mathcal M$ … smooth manifold
range $ \Gamma_{\mathcal M}\equiv \mathcal M\times T^*\mathcal M $
postulate $ H:\Gamma_{\mathcal M} \times \mathbb R \to \mathbb R $
postulate $ H $ … differentiable in $\Gamma_{\mathcal M}$

Discussion

The Hamiltonian function is related to the Lagrangian function via Legendre transformation.

Volume in statistical physics

It's worth noting that $\hbar$ translates energy to frequency (or time) and $c$ further translates time to length. This way one can write down models involving a volume parameter $V$, defining a characteristic energy $\frac{(\hbar c)^3}{V}$. This may then e.g. be embedded via (unitless!) expressions as complicated as

$\frac{V}{(\hbar c)^3}\int {\mathrm d}E\, f(\frac{V}{(\hbar c)^3}E)$.

Such a volume $V$ may actually also not just be a parameter of the theory, but fixed by the space ${\mathcal M}$ - e.g. the integral over the space, if such a number exists.

This e.g. happens in Classical density of states and is how $V$ enters $U=\langle{H}\rangle$ and eventually $p := -\frac{\partial U}{\partial V} = \frac{N}{V}\cdot k_B T$.

Reference

Wikipedia: Hamiltonian mechanics,


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