Least action Definition and 58 Threads

In Dirac's "General Theory of Relativity", chapters 26-30, he builds up various action principles from which Einstein's equation ##G^{\mu\nu}=-8\pi T^{\mu\nu}## can be obtained. In chapter 27, he extends the result of chapter 26 (Einstein's vacuum equation) to the case of a dust, where...

Veritaseum presents a history of least action and how it profoundly affects all of physics

I am a software engineer/mechanical engineer highly intrigued by the Principal of Least Action. However, a lot of the material on this subject is very tedious and painful to read. I did find one super awesome textbook called The Lazy Universe, by Professor Jennifer Coopersmith. It was an awesome...

A technical subject, well above my level it seems (I'm still learning about quantum physics and special relativity), but one about which I absolutely must get some clear ideas as soon as possible. From what I 'understand', Noether's second theorem applies to infinite-dimensional symmetry...

I'm confused on how to derive the multidimensional generalization for a multivariable function. Everything makes sense here except the line, $$ \frac{\delta S}{\delta \psi} = \frac{\partial L}{\partial \psi} - \frac{d}{dx} \frac{\partial L}{\partial(\frac{\partial \psi}{\partial x})} -...

I would like to discuss the nature of the following effect. At whatever angle and with whatever initial speed the particle fly into a uniform potential field, over time the directions of the instantaneous velocity and field strength converge. The kinematics and dynamics here are trivial, but I...

From what I know Newton's 2nd law in classical mechanics can be derived from the principle of least action. Also from what I know, two of the Maxwell's equations (those that contain the time derivatives, i.e. Maxwell-Faraday law and Maxwell-Ampere law) also can be derived from the principle of...

Hello. Since I learned the least action principle several years ago, I cannot figure out the difference between the variational operator ##\delta## in ##\delta S=0## and the differential operator ##d## in, say ##dS##. Everytime I encountered the variational operator, I just treated it as a...

Several weeks ago I had considered the question as to how one can start from the Schroedinger Equation, and after several transformations, derive F=ma as a limiting case. At some point in my investigations of this derivation, it occurred to me that this is simply too much work. While in...

Summary:: I am missing something in my integration by parts Consider the infinitesimal variation of the fields ##\phi_a (x)## $$\phi_a \rightarrow \phi_a + \delta \phi_a$$ The infinitesimal variation vanishes at the boundary of the region considered (ie. ##\delta \phi (x) = 0## at the...

There seems to be a similarity between the solutions of laplace's equation and the principle of least action. e.g. the solution of a one dimensional laplace equation is a straight and the curve that minimizes the action is also a straight line. Was one derived from the other? Newbie here. Id...

I'm studying a chapter on the parametric form of the canonical equation so basically the author says that time is no more an independent variable but it is expressed as a function of an other variable called ##\tau##. In this way the canonical integral is reduced to the one I've written in...

Dear All, I would like to better understand how the Principle of Least Action applies in observations / measurements in quantum physics. Does the wave function of a particle correspond directly to the principle of least action, as in, the positions with higher probability of detecting the...

Using the principle of least action can you figure out which path the photon took, or which slit it went thru given some initial condition. Or is this not possible and why.

Fermat's Principle states that light always travels the path of least time. In Classical Physics, other than the above, is there a separate "Principle of Lease Action" for light? Thanks in advance.

I have found that some people say “yes, definitely”, and other days “no, definitely not”. Those who say “no” seem to regard PLA as merely a neat way of packaging the equations. Those who say “yes” seem to regard PLA as somehow fundamental. (There have actually been two recent books on this...

Hello, When we applying the principle of least action, we require ##\delta S=0##, which corresponding to the action S being an extremum. I am just wondering why do we say that the action is a minimum instead of a maximum for a physical path? Can I use the path integral to explain this problem...

This is with regard to my doubt in the derivation of the principle of least of action in Goldstein Is there any theorem in math about definite integrals like this ∫a+cb+df(x)dx = f(a)c-f(b)d The relevant portion of the derivation is given in the image.

Hi, I've just started studying Feynman's thesis and am in need of some discussion regarding the three principles he put forward on the development of his 'Principle of least action in quantum mechanics'. The three principles are 1) The acceleration of a point charge is due to the sum of its...

Homework Statement The Lagrange Function corresponding to a geodesic is $$\mathcal{L}(x^\mu,\dot{x}^\nu)=\frac{1}{2}g_{\alpha \beta}(x^\mu)\dot{x}^\alpha \dot{x}^\beta$$ Calculate the Euler-Lagrange equations Homework Equations The Euler Lagrange equations are $$\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}s}...

Hi. Is the principle of least (better: stationary) action only an axiom in classical mechanics, or can it be derived from a more profound (classical) principle? As far as I know, it can be derived from the path integral formulation of QM. Is this a more profound justification for the principle...

Homework Statement Reading Feynman The Principle of Least Action out of The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol 2. Link to text http://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/II_19.html So I'm having a problem proving that, section 19-2 5th paragraf, that "Now the mean square of something that deviates...

When reading through one of the feynman lectures (http://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/II_19.html) there was a paragraph that said: "In the case of light we also discussed the question: How does the particle find the right path? From the differential point of view, it is easy to understand...

hello, everyone. When a vector field ##A_{\mu}## has the Lagrangian of the form as ##L=Const.{\times}F^{\mu\nu}F_{\mu\nu}##, where...

What would the world be like if the Principle of Least Action were different? Let's say that it minimized a different quantity than KE - PE. EF Taylor et al argue that if the quantity minimized were KE + PE, physical systems would accelerate apart from one another. Here's their short articlet...

In page 15, Peskin and Schroeder states that The principle of least action states that when a system evolves from one given configuration to another between times ##t_1## and ##t_2##, it does so along the path in configuration space for which ##S## is an extremum. What is the definition of...

Principle of least action states that the particle choose the path which optimizes its action.Where the action is defined by S=t1∫t2(L)dt and L is the Lagrangian of the system.This leads to δS=0 and it is a condition to optimize S. I will summarize what confuses me about this principle in a...

I want to obtain equation using Hamilton principle but I just couldn't figure it out; i have The kinetic energy : \begin{equation} E_{k}=\dfrac{1}{2}m_{z} \displaystyle\int\limits_{0}^{L}\ \left[ \left( \dfrac{\partial w(x,t)}{\partial t}\right)^{2}+\left( \dfrac{\partial v(x,t)}{\partial...

When applying the least action I see that a term is considered total derivative. Two points are not clear to me. We say that first $$\int \partial_\mu (\frac {\partial L}{\partial(\partial_\mu \phi)}\delta \phi) d^4x= \int d(\frac {\partial L}{\partial(\partial_\mu \phi)}\delta \phi)= (\frac...

hi, please if somebody could explain why anybody would consider the "action" and is there any proof that the minimal action actually gives the correct route of a problem?

Hi, I'm doing further maths and I would like to study maths at university. I have been asked to read a number of books to put on my personal statement, and as I am finding it difficult coming to terms with the fact that mechanics is taught as maths and not physics, a maths don at Oxford...

Is there a profound relationship between Principle of Least Action and Continuity Equation? Can we derive one from another?

I am having a tough time understanding the principle of least action and I would really appreciate it if someone would clear it up for me. And from what I understand from it, it can be used to predict particle motion?

Greetings, I'm simulating the principle of least action for simple object motion and reading from Feynman Vol. 2, Chpt 19 -- The Principle of Least Action. He states (with my paraphrasing) that the true path of a trajectory is the one for which the integral over all points of kinetic energy...

I have to be honest, the principle of least action seems to me more of a religious claim one takes on complete faith, though of course I'm hoping this is just because I don't understand it. I tried to explain this to a friend suffering through a mechanics class & was literally pushed to say 'one...

We say that the laws of nature (e.g. Newton's Laws, relativity, ...) must be confirmed and must be checked for invariance (e.g Lorentz, gauge, ...). Yet many of these laws may be directly derived from the principle of least action. Why do we not consider the principle of least action a law...

To make the confusions both concise and explicit, I will put down some incorrect calculations, and ask for corrections Take the Lagrangian KE - PE = T - V Action = S=∫ L dt (with given limits) Principle of least action: δS= 0: S(t1)-S(t2) =0 if t1-t2 is small (using the (.) as function...

So the integral of the lagrangian over time must be stationary according to hamiltons principle. One can show that this leads to the euler lagrange equations, one for each pair of coordinates (qi,qi'). But my book has now started on defining a generalized lagrangian where lagrangian...

Hamilton's principle says that the action for the true path that a system follows will be stationary. As I understand it, the action is almost always least. Is there a reason why nature prefers least action rather over greatest action?

I'm going through Landau/Lifgarbagez's book II of theoretical physics. In it they have a derivation of the equation of motion from the principle of least action, however I don't understand one step. Homework Statement Derive the equation of motion: \frac{d^2x^i}{ds^2}+\Gamma^i_{kj}...

I am trying to understand how, for a given physical system it is possible to come up with the correct expression for the lagrangian and thence the least action formulation from which the governing equations can be derived by application of the euler lagrange equation. From what I have seen so...

The principle of least action applicable in an uniform field can be obtained as follows: Particle A \vec{a}_A = \vec{a}_A \int \vec{a}_A \cdot d\vec{r}_A = \int \vec{a}_A \cdot d\vec{r}_A \int \vec{a}_A \cdot d\vec{r}_A = \Delta \; {\textstyle \frac{1}{2}}\vec{v}_A^2 \int \vec{a}_A...

I've been reading Landau and Lifgarbagez's Mechanics and have some issues I need clearing up, so I hope folk here can help :) It is stated that the Principle of Least Action is not always valid for the entire path of a system, but only for a sufficiently small segment...what does this mean...

It is stated in Landau & Lifgarbagez Mechanics that the Principle of Least Action is not always valid for the entire path of a system in phase space, but only for a sufficiently small segment of the path. Can anyone expand on this? How can we be sure that when we derive Lagrange's Equation...

There is one step I am having trouble understanding in the derivation of the principle of least action which leads to the Euler-Lagrange equations. When you have the variation of the action: \delta S = \int_{t_1}^{t_2} [ L(q+\delta q, \dot q + \delta \dot q, t ) - L(q, \dot q, t ) ] \...

Hi! I'm new of this forum and I'm searching a way to understand why the action is E-U, but in this moment i don't know how to do...ther's someone who can help me? Thank you

Reading the Landau's "The classical theory of fields" (chapter 2, section 9 ) I have some doubts in explaining the steps in derivig the formula for the variation of the action for the relativistic free particle...

I am now attempting to figure out how to calculate trajectories using the highly coveted "principle of least action". I apologize beforehand if this is more of a mathematical problem than a problem that needs to be placed under classical mechanics. I also apologize if I can't do the Latex...

What is the physically intuitive reason behind the fact that the action is stationary for the true path a particle takes? I understand that a path that satisfies the euler-lagrange equation minimizes (or maximizes or "saddle-points") the result of the action functional. I also understand...

What does it mean to say that something moves on a straight wordline in terms of the principle of least action? I know it generally means that action is minimum or stationary but since I only really know some physics from a conceptual standpoint and not a mathematical one I don't really know...