title: Quantization of a nonholonomic system.
abstract: In this Letter, we consider the problem of quantizing a nonholonomic system. This is highly nontrivial since such a system, which is subject to nonholonomic constraints, is not variational (or Hamiltonian). Our approach is to couple the system to a field which enforces the constraint in a suitable limit. We consider a simple but representative nonholonomic system, the Chaplygin sleigh. We then quantize the full (Hamiltonian) system. This system exhibits a key complicating feature of some nonholonomic systems-internal dissipative dynamics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. abloch@umich.edu
authors.forename: Anthony M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bloch
authors.forename: Alberto G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Rojo