Introduction to the calculus of variations
Offered By: The Open University via OpenLearn
Course Description
Overview
This free course concerns the calculus of variations. Section 1 introduces some key ingredients by solving a seemingly simple problem – finding the shortest distance between two points in a plane. The section also introduces the notions of a functional and of a stationary path. Section 2 describes basic problems that can be formulated in terms of functionals. Section 3 looks at partial and total derivatives. Section 4 contains a derivation of the Euler-Lagrange equation. In Section 5 the Euler-Lagrange equation is used to solve some of the earlier problems, as well as one arising from a new topic, Fermat’s principle.
Syllabus
- Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- Link to course PDF
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
Tags
Related Courses
Çok değişkenli Fonksiyon I: Kavramlar / Multivariable Calculus I: ConceptsKoç University via Coursera Çok Değişkenli Fonksiyonlarda Türev ve Entegral II: İleri Konular ve Uygulamalar / Multivariable Calculus II: Applications and Advanced Topics
Koç University via Coursera Multivariable Calculus
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee via Swayam Maximum Entropy Methods
Santa Fe Institute via Complexity Explorer Engineering Mathematics - I in Hindi
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur via Swayam