The modification of the Hamiltonian principle appropriate to Extension to cyclic systems. the case of cyclic systems has been given by J. Larmor. If we write, as in § 1 (25),

R = Τ − κχ˙ − κ′χ˙′ − κ″χ˙″ − ...,

(15)

we shall have

δ ∫t′t (R − V) dt = 0,

(16)

provided that the variation does not affect the cyclic momenta κ, κ′, κ″, ..., and that the configurations at times t and t′ are unaltered, so far as they depend on the palpable co-ordinates q1, q2, ... qm. The initial and final values of the ignored co-ordinates will in general be affected.

To prove (16) we have, on the above understandings,

δ ∫t′t (R − V) dt = ∫t′t (δT − κδχ˙ − ... − δV) dt

= ∫t′t ( ∂Tδq˙1 + ... + ∂Tδq1 + ... − δV) dt,
∂q˙1 ∂q1