It covers analytical mechanics, thermodynamics and statistical physics, special and general relativity and non-relativistic quantum theory, fully developing the necessary mathematical methods beyond standard calculus. This book presents the basic elements of theoretical physics in a highly accessible, captivating way for university students in the third year of a degree in physics. The literature list at the end of this book contains several references for the topic. The students who wish to dig deeper, should consult texts dedicated to the study of nonlinear dynamical systems and chaos. The purpose of this chapter is to provide supplementary reading for the students who are interested in this area of active research, where Newtonian mechanics plays an essential role. A chapter introducing nonlinear dynamics has been added. In addition to this, we have made improvements based on the experience gathered in the use of the first English edition of the book in the introductory course in physics at the University of Copenhagen. JMK €9 PGH Copenhagen May 2000 Preface to the Second Edition In the second edition, a number of misprints that appeared in the first edition have been corrected. This will permit the problems to be used as hand-in problems or perhaps in mid-term exams. The answers to these 17 problems have not been listed in the 'Answers' section at the end of the book. Furthermore, 17 new problems have been added, at the end of chapters 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 14. In the third edition a number of minor misprints that appeared in the second edition have have been corrected. This book grew out of several courses on meccanica razionaie, i.e., essentially, theoretical mechanics, which I gave at the University of Rome during the years 1975-1978. Therefore a detailed review of the 'few' results of ergodic theory, of the 'many' results of statistical mechanics, of the classical theory of fields (elasticity and waves), and of quantum mechanics are also totally absent they could constitute the subject of two additional volumes on mechanics. This second meaning, however, is the result of the necessity of finishing this work in a reasonable amount of time rather than an a priori choice. In fact, the arguments chosen are all very classical, and the formal or technical developments of this century are absent, as well as a detailed treatment of such problems as the theory of the planetary motions and other very concrete mechanical problems. It also signifies 'devoted to the foundations'. The word 'elements' in the title of this book does not convey the implica tion that its contents are 'elementary' in the sense of 'easy': it mainly means that no prerequisites are required, with the exception of some basic background in classical physics and calculus.

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