The Hamilton–Jacobi equation is a fundamental equation in classical mechanics that describes the evolution of dynamical systems. It is named after William Rowan Hamilton and Carl Gustav Jacobi, who contributed to the development of Hamiltonian mechanics. The equation can be seen as a reformulation of Newton's laws of motion and serves as a bridge between classical mechanics and other areas of physics, including quantum mechanics and optimal control theory.
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A principal function obeys the Hamilton-Jacobi equation . A complete solution generates canonical momentum components and local canonical coordinates constant along motion. For a time-independent Hamiltonian, reduces the equation to . Additive separation of yields conserved separation constants, subject to local regularity and independence.