When we have a complex mechanical system and we want to understand how it would respond to different inputs, or if we want to simulate it in some way, then it would be useful if we had a general method to apply.
It would be really good if we could find a way to specify a complex mechanical system in a computer and then use the computer to simulate its behavior without the need for problem specific coding or other human intervention.
I don't think there is a single method which will produce a simple result in every case, so these pages aim to list some of the most promising approaches:
Action Principle
