Requirement of Holonomic Constraints for Deriving Lagrange Equations

Question

While deriving the Lagrange equations from d'Alembert's principle, we get from $$\displaystyle\sum_i(m\ddot x_i-F_i)\delta x_i=0\tag{1}$$ to $$\displaystyle\sum_k (\frac {\partial\mathcal L}{\partial\ q_k}-(\frac d {dt}\frac {\partial\mathcal L}{\partial\dot q_k}))\delta q_k=0\tag{2}$$

However, from the above step, we get to the below step only after assuming holonomic constraints: $$(\frac {\partial\mathcal L}{\partial\ q_k}-(\frac d {dt}\frac {\partial\mathcal L}{\partial\dot q_k})=0.\tag{3}$$

Why is it that we have to assume holonomic constraints for that transition? My guess is that it has something to do with that if the constraints are not holonomic, then the virtual displacement are not always perpendicular to the trajectory of the body, but I can't see the mathematical connection between these.

Answer 1

1. To go from (2) to (3) we only need that the generalized coordinates are independent variables.

2. The holonomic constraints were used at a previous stage to define the generalized coordinates in the first place, see e.g. Ref. 1.

References:

1. H. Goldstein, Classical Mechanics; Section 1.3.