Central Field is Field of Functional

Theorem
Let $ \mathbf y $ be an N-dimensional vector.

Let $ J $ be a functional, such that:


 * $ \displaystyle J \left [ { \mathbf y } \right ] = \int_a^b F \left ( { x, \mathbf y, \mathbf y' } \right ) \mathrm d x $

Let the following be a central field:


 * $ \displaystyle \mathbf y' \left ( { x } \right ) = \boldsymbol \psi \left ( { x, \mathbf y } \right ) $

Then this central field is a field of functional $ J $.

Proof
Let:


 * $ \displaystyle g \left ( { x, \mathbf y } \right ) = \int_c^{ \left ( { x, \mathbf y } \right ) } F \left ( { x, \hat{ \mathbf y }, \hat{ \mathbf y }' } \right ) \mathrm d x $

where $ \hat{ \mathbf y } $ is an extremal of $ J $ connecting points $ c $ and $ \left ( { x, \mathbf y } \right ) $.

By definition, $ g \left ( { x, \mathbf y } \right ) $ is a geodetic distance $ S $.

Define a field of directions in $ R $ by the following:


 * $ F_{ \mathbf y' } = \mathbf p \left ( { x, \mathbf y, \mathbf y' } \right ) = g_{ \mathbf y } \left ( { x, \mathbf y } \right ) $

Note, that it does not depend on the path defined by $ \hat{ \mathbf y } $, only on its endpoint at $ \left ( { x, \mathbf y } \right ) $.

Then:


 * $ g_{ \mathbf y } \left ( { x, \mathbf y } \right ) = \mathbf p \left ( { x, y, z } \right ) $

where $ z $ denotes slope of the curve joining $ c $ and $ \left ( { x, \mathbf y } \right ) $ at the point $ \left ( { x, \mathbf y } \right ) $.

Hence, the previously defined field of directions coincides with the field of functional.