M2A2 Problem Sheet 1 - Calculus of Variations

Solutions
1. Conservation of energy. The Euler-Lagrange equation corresponding to a functional F (y, y , x) is F d F = 0. y dx y Show that F d F )= (F y . dx y x F = constant. y
d dx ( F

Hence, in the case that F is independent of x, show that F y

Solution Evaluate the expression (

F y

) explicitly. We get:

F d F F +y +y , )F y y = x y y y dx y x

as required; the other terms on the left cancel in pairs, provided y satises the Euler-Lagrange equation. If F x is identically zero, then F ) is constant. If F is the Lagrangian of a mechanical E = (F y y system, the quantity E is called the energy. 2. The hanging rope. A rope hangs between the two points (x, y ) = (a, 0) in a curve y = y (x), so as to minimise its potential energy
a

mgy
a

1 + y 2 dx

while keeping its length constant:

a

1 + y 2 dx = L
a

Of course L > 2a. Find and solve the Euler-Lagrange equation. Solution We seek to extremise the integral
a a

F dx =
a a

( y )

1 + y 2 dx,

where is a Lagrange multiplier. The Euler-Lagrange equation is F d F = 0, y dx y 1

which is 1+y2 =

d ( y ) dx

y 1+y2

a second order ode for y . But F is independent of x, so by the result of F ) is constant. That is, question 1, E = (F y y ( y ) That is Thus y = + K 1 cosh(K (x x0 )). Here the constants x0 , and are found from the two boundary conditions y (a) = 0, giving x0 = 0, and = K 1 cosh(Ka), while K is found from the length of the rope:
a a

1 + y 2 ( y )

y2 1+y
2

1+y2

= K 1 ,

constant.

y 2 = K 2 (y )2 1.

cosh2 (Kx)dx =

1 sinh(2Ka) + a = L. 4

3. The relativistic particle A particle moving with speed near c, the speed of light, has Lagrangian L = m0 c 2 1 |2 |x U (x). c2

Show that the equation of motion can be interpreted as Newtons 2nd law, but with a mass depending on the speed of the particlem= m0 1
2 x c2

The constant m0 is called the rest mass of the particle. Use the result of question 1 to nd a conserved quantity - the relativistic energy of the particle. Find the leading approximation to this Lagrangian in the case 2 x << 1. c2 Solution The momentum is L = x (In components, L = i x 2 i m0 x 1
|2 |x c2

m0 x 1
|2 |x c2

),

and so the Euler-Lagrange quation, d L L = , dt x x is: d dt m0 x 1

|2 |x c2

U . x

This looks like Newtons second law: d U ) = ( mx , dt x provided we set: m= The energy is given as above by . E=x . x i m0 x 1
|2 |x c2

m0 1
|2 |x c2

L L= i x

+ m0 c 2

|2 |x + U (x) = c2 + U (x) =

m0 c 2 1
|2 |x c2

mc2 + U (x).

| << c, the energy expands as For |x E = m0 c2 + (

m0 2 | + U (x) + O(c2 ). |x 2

4. A nonlinear Laplace equation. Find the Euler-Lagrange equation for the function u(x, y ) which minimises (extremises): L(ux , uy , u, x, y )dxdy =
2 F ( u2 x + uy ) + f (x, y )udxdy,

where the domain of integration is a simply connected nite region . Suppose u takes a specied value on the boundary of ; these are called Dirichlet boundary conditions. Solution The Euler-Lagrange equation is L L L = 0. u x ux y uy 3

This is f (x, y ) 2 2 2 ( ux F ( u2 ( u y F ( u2 x + uy )) 2 x + uy )) = 0. x y

5. Geodesics on a cylinder. Consider a circular cylinder of radius a, whose axis is the z -axis. The metric - the element of arc length - is given in cylindrical polars by: ds 2 = a 2 d 2 + d z 2 . Write down the length of a curve on the cylinder joining the points ( z1 , 1 ) and (z2 , 2 ). Find the curve which minimises this length. Is there more than one solution? Repeat this calculation in Cartesian coordinates, using a Lagrange multiplier and the constraint x2 + y 2 = a2 . Solution As with the problem of geodesics in the plane, which minimise the curve length with the element of arc length given by ds 2 = d x 2 + d y 2 , the solution here is that depends linearly on z : z = k + z0 . This is a helix, wrapped around the cylinder. To satisfy the boundary conditions we get: z2 z 1 ( 1 ), z = z1 + 2 1 z = z1 + z2 z1 ( 1 ) 2 1 + 2n

but because is multiply valued, the more general solution

goes through the same two end-points, for any integer n. In Cartesians, the Lagrangian parametrising the curve by arc length is
s2

(
s1

dy dz dx 2 ) + ( )2 + ( )2 (x2 + y 2 a2 )dsdz. ds ds ds

The Euler-Lagrange equations are then: d ds

dx ds dy 2 x 2 dz 2 (d ds ) + ( ds ) + ( ds )

= 2x;

d ds and d ds

dy ds dy 2 x 2 dz 2 (d ds ) + ( ds ) + ( ds ) dz ds

= 2y ;

dy 2 x 2 dz 2 (d ds ) + ( ds ) + ( ds )

= 0.

Now this is valid for any parameter s on the curve. But if we choose s to be the arc-length, this xes Hence,
dy 2 x 2 dz 2 (d ds ) + ( ds ) + ( ds ) = 1 .

d2 x = 2x; ds 2 d2 y = 2y ; ds 2 d2 z = 0. ds 2

Now, using the constraint x2 + y 2 = a2 and its rst and second derivatives, we nd explicitly, = 1/(2a2 ). Thus x y z = a cos((s s0 )/a), = a sin((s s0 )/a), = bs + c

where we have used the constraint to x some of the constants of integration. This is the parametric equation of a helix, as before.