The text covers the fundamentals of the mechanics of multibody systems, ie, systems of interconnected rigid bodies. A geometric view is emphasized in which the techniques and algorithms are motivated by the picture of the rigid body system as a point in the multidimensional space of all possible configurations. The reader is introduced to computer algebra methods in the form a system, called Sophia, which is implemented in the Maple symbolic manipulation system. The first chapter provides a motivational introduction to the basic principles and an introduction to Maple. Kinematics based on the...