It is well known that the dynamics equation for a mechanical system (e.g. a robotics manipulator) is given be the Euler-Lagrange equation which takes the particular form (in the simplified version), $$ M(q)\ddot{q}+N(q,\dot{q})=u$$ where $M$ is the inertia tensor, $N$ the Coriolis/centripetal vector and $u$ the input (torque). In a given coordinate change of the state e.g. $$q=h(y)$$ following a similar procedure as in "Robot manipulator control: Theory and Practice" pp 148-149, by Frank Lewis, we get, $$\dot q=J\dot y$$ where $J=J(y)=\frac{\partial h }{\partial y}$ is teh Jacobian of $h$. Taking second derivatives gives, $$\ddot q=\dot J\dot y+J\ddot y$$ Plugging into the dynamics we have, $$M(q)(\dot J \dot y+J\ddot y)+N(q,\dot q)= u \Rightarrow$$ $$M(q)J\ddot y+(N(q,\dot q)+M(q)\dot J \dot y)= u \Rightarrow$$ Apparently this can be shorthanded as, $$\bar{M}\ddot{y} + \bar{N} =u$$ by collecting terms. The problem is that $M$ and $N$ are **still** functions of $q$. Given that $M$ is a tensor and $N$ a vector, they transform as such. Thus $$\hat{M}(y)=J^{T}M(h(y))J$$ and $$\hat{N}(y)=JN(h(y))$$ Substituting in the transformed equation we get, $$J^{T}M(h(y))JJ\ddot{y}+(JN(h(y))+J^{T}M(h(y))J\dot{J}\dot{y})= u$$ I have a feeling that there something wrong here. Is this right?