This book is an introductory account of the calculus of variations suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of mathematics, physics, or engineering. The mathematical background assumed of the reader is a course in multivariable calculus, and some familiarity with the elements of real analysis and ordinary differential equations.

Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext

Charles Little, Teo Kee and Bruce van Brunt are professors of Mathematics at Massey University in New Zealand.

Inhalt
The First Variation.- Some Generalizations.- Isoperimetric Problems.- Applications to Eigenvalue Problems.- Holonomic and Nonholonomic Constraints.- Problems with Variable Endpoints.- The Hamiltonian Formulation.- Noether's Theorem.- The Second Variation.