Contact Mechanics and its neighbours

A mini symposium in occasion of the graduation of Federico Zadra

Monday, 2 October 2023, 13:30–17:00, room 293 (Bernoulliborg)

Program

13:30–14:30 Alessandro Bravetti (UNAM, Mexico)

An introduction to Contact Hamiltonian Systems [slides]

Abstract: The aim of this Colloquium is to provide a general introduction to contact Hamiltonian systems and motivate their study. All along some fundamental properties are reviewed and interesting applications are presented.

14:30-15:30 David Martín de Diego (ICMAT, Spain)

Two applications of discrete variational calculus [slides]

Abstract: The use of geometric methods in the study of dynamical systems starts by searching for geometric structures invariant with respect to the given dynamics. Discrete variational calculus allow us to derive numerical methods preserving some of the geometry of the original system. We will discuss two recent applications of these numerical methods:

  1. A parallel iterative method for variational integration with applications to navigation problems
  2. Accelerated optimization in machine learning
15:30-16:00 Coffee break (with cake!)
16:00-17:00 Federico Zadra (RUG)

Numerical and analytical aspects on contact Hamiltonian systems [slides]

Abstract: Although contact geometry has always been seen as a step beyond its cousin symplectic geometry, it has many features with consequences in mathematics and physics. In this talk, I will first give a bird's eye view of my thesis work, and then focus on some analytical results picked up from the last chapter. In particular, I will talk about relations between some generalised symmetries and constants of motion.