A general method for writing the dynamical equations of nonholonomic systems with ideal constraints

The basic notions of the dynamics of nonholonomic systems are revisited in order to give a general and simple method for writing the dynamical equations for linear as well as non-linear kinematical constraints. The method is based on the representation of the constraints by parametric equations, which are interpreted as dynamical equations, and leads to first-order differential equations in normal form, involving the Lagrangian coordinates and auxiliary variables (the use of Lagrangian multipliers is avoided). Various examples are illustrated.