Any inflexion-point solutions to Euler-Lagrange equation?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the Euler-Lagrange equation and its application in determining the shortest distance between two points. It asserts that the solution to the Euler-Lagrange equation yields a stationary value for the total length, denoted as ##I##, rather than strictly an extremum value. The conversation highlights that while Professor Susskind focuses on extremum and saddle-point solutions, inflexion-point solutions are not addressed, raising the question of whether the straight line should be classified as an inflexion-point path as well.

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  • Understanding of the Euler-Lagrange equation
  • Familiarity with concepts of extremum and saddle-point solutions
  • Knowledge of stationary values in calculus
  • Basic principles of differential geometry
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This discussion is beneficial for mathematicians, physicists, and students studying calculus of variations, particularly those interested in the applications of the Euler-Lagrange equation in optimization problems.

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The following pages use Euler-Lagrange equation to solve for the shortest distance between two points and in the last paragraph mentions: "the straight line has only been proved to be an extremum path".

I believe the solution to the Euler-Lagrange equation gives the total length ##I## a stationary value and not an extremum value, so should the book have said: "the straight line has only been proved to be an extremum path or an inflexion-point path"?

Also, Professor Susskind, I believe, never mentions inflexion-point solutions when he teaches Euler-Lagrange equation, but only extremum and saddle-point solutions.

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Yes, the EL equations give stationary solutions. The prime example of this is finding stationary pathlengths on the sphere. The global minimum between two points is the shorter part of the great circle connecting them. The long part lf the same great circle can be shown to be neither a minimum or a maximum.
 
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