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.
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Author
Per Stoltze
stoltze@fysik.dtu.dk