User:Julius

Current focus

 * Build the bulk knowledge on calculus of variations based on Gelfand's Calculus of Variations, then recheck with a couple other books and slowly improve proofs.


 * So I just noticed that vector notation is being used in Gelfand's for higher dimensional functionals. This implies rewriting all multivariable functionals. Implement this gradually.

Lemmas and theorems for Bernstein's Theorem on Unique Extrema (1978)
Raw material

Example 1
Suppose that:


 * $J \sqbrk y = \int_1^2 \frac {\sqrt {1+y'^2} } {x} \rd x$

with the following boundary conditions:


 * $\map y 1 = 0$


 * $\map y 2 = 1$

Then the smooth minimizer of $J$ is a circle of the following form:


 * $\paren {y - 2}^2 + x^2 = 5$

Proof
$J$ is of the form


 * $J \sqbrk y = \int_a^b \map F {x, y'} \rd x$

Then we can use the "no y theorem":


 * $F_y = C$

i.e.


 * $\frac {y'} {x \sqrt {1 + y'^2} } = C$

or


 * $y' = \frac {C x} {\sqrt {1 - C^2 x^2} }$

The integral is equal to


 * $y = \frac {\sqrt {1 - C^2 x^2} } C + C_1$

or


 * $\paren {y - C_1}^2 + x^2 = C^{-2}$

From the conditions $\map y 1 = 0$, $\map y 2 = 1$ we find that


 * $C = \frac 1 {\sqrt 5}$


 * $C_1 = 2$

Example 3

 * $J \sqbrk = \int_a^b \paren {x - y}^2$

is minimized by


 * $\map y x = x$

Proof
Euler' equation:


 * $F_y = 0$

i.e.


 * $2 \paren {x - y} = 0$.

Example p31
Suppose:


 * $J \sqbrk r = \int_{\phi_0}^{\phi_1} \sqrt{r^2 + r'^2} \rd \phi$

Euler's Equation:


 * $\displaystyle \frac r {\sqrt{r^2 + r'^2} } - \dfrac \d {\d \phi} \frac {r'} {\sqrt{r^2 + r'^2} }$

Apply change of variables:


 * $x = r \cos \phi, y = r \sin \phi$

The integral becomes:


 * $\displaystyle \int_{x_0}^{x_1} \sqrt{1 + y'^2} \rd x$

Euler's equation:


 * $y'' = 0$

Its solution:


 * $y = \alpha x + \beta$

or


 * $r \sin \phi = \alpha r \cos \phi + \beta$

Example

 * $J \sqbrk = \int_{x_0}^{x_1} \map f {x,y} \sqrt {1+y'^2}\rd x$


 * $F_{y'} = \map f {x,y} \frac {y'} {\sqrt{1 + y'^2} }=\frac {y' F} {1 + y'^2}$


 * $F + \paren {\phi' - y'}F_{y'} = \frac {\paren{1+y'\phi'}F} {1+y'^2} = 0$


 * $F + \paren {\psi' - y'}F_{y'} = \frac {\paren{1+y'\psi'}F} {1+y'^2} = 0$

i.e.


 * $y' = -\frac 1 {\phi'}$


 * $y' = - \frac 1 {\psi'}$

Transversality reduces to orthogonality

Example: points on surfaces

 * $J \sqbrk {y,z} = \int_{x_0}^{x_1} \map F {x,y,z,y',z'} \rd x$

Transversality conditions:


 * $\sqbrk {F_{y'} + \dfrac {\partial \phi} {\partial y} \paren {F - y'F_{y'} - z'F_{z'} } }|_{x=x0} = 0$


 * $\sqbrk {F_{z'} + \dfrac {\partial \phi} {\partial z} \paren {F - y'F_{y'} - z'F_{z'} } }|_{x=x0} = 0$


 * $\sqbrk {F_{y'} + \dfrac {\partial \phi} {\partial y} \paren {F - y'F_{y'} - z'F_{z'} } }|_{x=x1} = 0$


 * $\sqbrk {F_{z'} + \dfrac {\partial \phi} {\partial z} \paren {F - y'F_{y'} - z'F_{z'} } }|_{x=x1} = 0$

Example: Legendre transformation

 * $\map f \xi = \frac {\xi^a} a, a>1$


 * $\map {f'} \xi = p = \xi^{a-1}$

i.e.


 * $\xi = p^{\frac {1} {a-1} }$


 * $H = - \frac {\xi^a} {a} + p\xi = - \frac {p^{\frac {a} {a-1} } } a + p p^{\frac {a} {a-1} } = p^{\frac {a} {a-1} } \paren{1 - \frac 1 a}$

Hence:


 * $\map H p = \frac {p^b} b$

where:


 * $\frac 1 a + \frac 1 b = 1$

Example

 * $J \sqbrk y = \int_a^b \paren {Py'^2 + Q y^2} \rd x$


 * $p = 2 P y', H = P y'^2 - Q y^2$

Hence:


 * $H = \frac {p^2} {4 P} - Q y^2$

Canonical equations:


 * $\dfrac {\d p} {\d x} = 2 Q y$


 * $\dfrac {\d y} {\d x} = \frac p {2 P}$

Euler's Equation:


 * $2 y Q - \dfrac \d {\d x} \paren {2 P y'} = 0$

Example: Noether's theorem 1

 * $J \sqbrk y = \int_{x0}^{x1} y'^2 \rd x$

is invariant under the transformation:


 * $x^* = x + \epsilon, y^* = y$


 * $y^* = \map y {x^* - \epsilon} = \map {y^*} {x^*}$

Then:


 * $J \sqbrk {\gamma^*} = \int_{x0^*}^{x1^*} \sqbrk { \dfrac {\d \map {y^*} {x^*} } {\d x^*} } \rd x^* = \int_{x0+\epsilon}^{x_1 + \epsilon} \sqbrk { \dfrac {\d \map y {x^* - \epsilon} } {\d x^*} }^2 \rd x^* = \int_{x0}^{x1} \sqbrk { \dfrac {\d \map y x} {\d x} }^2 \rd x = J \sqbrk \gamma$

Example: Neother's theorem 2

 * $J \sqbrk y = \int_{x_0}^{x_1} x y'^2 \rd x$

Example: Noether's theorem 3

 * $J \sqbrk y = \int_{x_0}^{x_1} \map F {y, y'} \rd x$

Invariant under $x^* = x + \epsilon, y_i^* = y_i$

I.e. $\phi = 1, \psi_i = 0$

reduces to $H = \const$

Momentum of the system:

 * $P_x = \sum_{y = 1}^n p_{ix}, P_y = \sum_{y = 1}^n p_{iy}, P_z = \sum_{z = 1}^n p_{iz}$

(Examples: attraction to a fixed point, attraction to a homogenous distribution on an axis)

Geodetic distance:Examples
If $J$ is arclength, $S$ is distance.

If $J$ is a moment of time to pass a segment of optical medium, then $S$ is the time needed to pass the whole optical body.

If $J$ is action, then $S$ is the minimal action.

Examples of quadratic functionals
1) $B \sqbrk {x, y} = \int_{t_0}^{t_1} \map x t \map y t \rd t$

Corresponding quadratic functional

$A \sqbrk x = \int_{t_0}^{t_1} \map {x^2} t$

2) $B \sqbrk {x, y} = \int_{t_0}^{t_1} \map \alpha t \map x t \map y t \rd t$

Corresponding quadratic functional

$A \sqbrk x = \int_{t_0}^{t_1} \map \alpha t \map {x^2} t \rd t$

3)

$A \sqbrk x = \int_{t_0}^{t_1} \paren {\map \alpha t \map {x^2} t + \map \beta t \map x t \map {x'} t+ \map \gamma t \map {x'^2} t} \rd t$

4)

$B \sqbrk {x, y} = \int_a^b \int_a^b \map K {s, t} \map x s \map y t \rd s \rd t$

Theorem
Let $I = \closedint a b$ be a closed real interval.

Let $\map \CC I$ be the space of real-valued functions, continuous on $I$.

Let $\norm {\, \cdot \,}_\infty$ be the supremum norm.

Then $\paren{\map \CC I,\norm{\cdot}_\infty }$ is a Banach space.

$\sequence{\map {x_n} t}_{n \in \N}$ is a Cauchy sequence
Let $\sequence{x_n}_{n \in \N}$ be a Cauchy sequence in $\map \CC I$:


 * $\forall \epsilon \in \R_{> 0} : \exists N \in \N : \forall n, m > N : \norm{x_n − x_m}_\infty < \epsilon$

Suppose, all the elements of $\sequence{x_n}_{n \in \N}$ are also dependent on $t \in I$.

Then:

Hence, $\sequence{\map {x_n} t}_{n \in \N}$ is a Cauchy sequence in $\R$.

$\R$ is complete.

Therefore, $\sequence{\map {x_n} t}_{n \in \N}$ is convergent.

Denote the limit by $\map x t$:


 * $\displaystyle \lim_{n \mathop \to \infty} \map {x_n} t = \map x t$

$\map x t$ is continuous
Choose $N$ such that:


 * $\displaystyle \forall n,m > N : \norm{x_n - x_m} < \frac \epsilon 3$

Let $\tau \in I$.

Then $\forall n > N$ and $m = N + 1 > N$:

Take the limit $n \to \infty$:

By assumption, $\map {x_{N+1} } t \in \map \CC I$.

Then:


 * $\displaystyle \forall t, \tau \in I : \exists \delta > 0: \size {\tau - t} < \delta \implies \size {\map {x_{N+1} } t - \map {x_{N+1} } \tau} < \frac \epsilon 3$

Thus:

Hence, $\map x t$ is continuous in $I$.

$\sequence {x_n}_{n \in \N}$ converges to $x$
Let $\epsilon > 0$.

Choose $N$ such that $\forall n,m > N : \norm{x_n - x_m}_\infty < \epsilon$

Fix $n > N$.

Let $t \in I$.

Then, $\forall m > N$:

Take the limit $m \to \infty$:

This holds for every $n > N$.

Repeat the argument for all $\epsilon > 0$:


 * $\forall \epsilon > 0 : \exists N \in \N : \forall n \in \N : \forall n > N : \norm {x_n - x}_\infty < \epsilon$.

Therefore, $x_n$ converges to $x$ in $\map \CC I$:


 * $\displaystyle \lim_{x \mathop \to \infty} x_n = x$

To prove the theorem, we need to show that every Cauchy sequence in $\struct {\map \CC I, \norm {\,\cdot\,}_\infty}$ is also a convergent sequence.

First, we construct a Cauchy sequence in $\struct {\map \CC I, \norm {\,\cdot\,}_\infty}$ from a Cauchy sequence in $\struct {\R, \norm {\,\cdot\,}_\infty}$.

Then we show, that the limit of a Cauchy sequence is also contained in $\struct {\map \CC I, \norm {\,\cdot\,}_\infty}$.