Editing Configuration space (physics) (section)

{{Short description| Space of possible positions for all objects in a physical system }}
{{Redirect|C-space|the art gallery|C-Space, Beijing|<math>\Complex</math>-space|complex analytic space}}

In [[classical mechanics]], the parameters that define the configuration of a system are called ''[[generalized coordinates]],'' and the space defined by these coordinates is called the '''configuration space''' of the [[physical system]].  It is often the case that these parameters satisfy mathematical constraints, such that the set of actual configurations of the system is a manifold in the space of generalized coordinates.  This [[manifold]] is called the '''configuration manifold''' of the system. Notice that this is a notion of "unrestricted" configuration space, i.e. in which different point particles may occupy the same position. In mathematics, in particular in topology, a notion of "restricted" [[Configuration space (mathematics)|configuration space]] is mostly used, in which the diagonals, representing "colliding" particles, are removed.