Any given system of ordinary differential equations in $n$-dimensional configuration space can be obtained from a peculiar variational problem with one local symmetry. The obtained action functional leads to the Hamiltonian formulation in $(4n+2)$-dimensional phase space. As concrete examples, we discuss the cases of Lagrange-d'Alembert equations with nonlinear nonholonomic constraints, as well as the equations of motion with dissipative (frictional) forces.
Categories: math-ph hep-th math.MP