Variational Methods: Applications to Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations and Hamiltonian Systems
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Struwe, Michael (Author)
Format: Electronic eBook
Language:English
Published: Berlin, Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 1990
Subjects:
Online Access:Volltext
Item Description:It would be hopeless to attempt to give a complete account of the history of the calculus of variations. The interest of Greek philosophers in isoperimetric problems underscores the importance of "optimal form" in ancient cultures, see Hildebrandt-Tromba [1] for a beautiful treatise of this subject. While variatio­ nal problems thus are part of our classical cultural heritage, the first modern treatment of a variational problem is attributed to Fermat (see Goldstine [1; p.l]). Postulating that light follows a path of least possible time, in 1662 Fer­ mat was able to derive the laws of refraction, thereby using methods which may already be termed analytic. With the development of the Calculus by Newton and Leibniz, the basis was laid for a more systematic development of the calculus of variations. The brothers Johann and Jakob Bernoulli and Johann's student Leonhard Euler, all from the city of Basel in Switzerland, were to become the "founding fathers" (Hildebrandt-Tromba [1; p.21]) of this new discipline. In 1743 Euler [1] sub­ mitted "A method for finding curves enjoying certain maximum or minimum properties", published 1744, the first textbook on the calculus of variations
Physical Description:1 Online-Ressource (XIV, 244 p)
ISBN:9783662026243
9783662026267
DOI:10.1007/978-3-662-02624-3

There is no print copy available.

Interlibrary loan Place Request Caution: Not in THWS collection! Get full text