- #1
"Don't panic!"
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I know the definition of the Poisson bracket and how to derive elementary results from it, but I'm struggling to understand intuitively what they are describing physically? For example, the Poisson bracket between position [itex]q_{i}[/itex] and momentum coordinates [itex]p_{j}[/itex] is given by [tex]\lbrace q_{i},p_{j}\rbrace = \delta_{ij}[/tex]
but what is this describing physically? is it that momentum generates a change in position or is it something else?
Also, how is the Poisson bracket motivated? Is it a quantity that arises naturally which we define to be the Poisson bracket, or is it derived in some manner?
but what is this describing physically? is it that momentum generates a change in position or is it something else?
Also, how is the Poisson bracket motivated? Is it a quantity that arises naturally which we define to be the Poisson bracket, or is it derived in some manner?