Using Extended Interval Algebra in Discrete Mechanics
Fulvio Tonon · 2006
Abstract: Discrete mechanics deals with discrete mechanical systems, such as cellular automata, in which time proceeds in integer steps and the configuration space is discrete. Directly modeling discrete mechanical systems is a well known alternative to starting from a continuous setting, discretizing the model, and finally force the model to the finite alphabet of a computer. The time evolution of discrete dynamical systems, however, can be calculated exactly. In order to take into account imprecision in the input data and the need to accommodate a finite alphabet, extended interval analysis is introduced in the discrete mechanical systems formulation developed by Baez and Gilliam. It is shown how the Euler-Lagrange equation must be modified when working with interval input.