Rayleigh dissipation function

The Rayleigh dissipation function is a concept used in classical mechanics, particularly in the analysis of systems that experience non-conservative forces, such as friction or air resistance. It is a mathematical tool that helps to describe the energy lost in a system due to these non-conservative forces. In Lagrangian mechanics, the equations of motion for a system can be derived using the Lagrangian function, which is defined as the difference between the kinetic and potential energies of the system.