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Hamiltonian

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noun Ham·il·to·ni·an \ˌha-məl-ˈtō-nē-ən\

Definition of Hamiltonian

  1. :  a function that is used to describe a dynamic system (such as the motion of a particle) in terms of components of momentum and coordinates of space and time and that is equal to the total energy of the system when time is not explicitly part of the function — compare lagrangian

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Origin and Etymology of hamiltonian

Sir William Hamilton †1865 Irish mathematician

Learn More about hamiltonian

  1. See words that rhyme with Hamiltonian Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Hamiltonian

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