Terminology

A phase-point
(r1,...,r3N,p1,...,p3N)

is a point in the 6N dimensional phase-space.

A configuration

(r1,...,r3N)

is a point in the 3N dimensional configuration space.

A trajectory

(r1(t),...,r3N(t),p1(t),...,p3N(t))

is a continuous solution to the equation of motion.

An orbit

(r1(nh),...,r3N(nh),p1(nh),...,p3N(nh))

where n=1...N, and h is a timestep. The orbit is a series of points on the trajectory.

It should be obvious that the dynamics is a mapping

(r1(nh),...,r3N(nh),p1(nh),...,p3N(nh))
(r1((n+1)h),...,r3N((n+1)h),p1((n+1)h),...,p3N((n+1)h))

A phase-function

f(r1,...,r3N,p1,...,p3N)

is a function defined over a trajectory or over an orbit.


Back

Author Per Stoltze stoltze@fysik.dtu.dk