Jacobi's Necessary Condition/Dependent on N Functions

Theorem
Let $J$ be a functional, such that:


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

where $\mathbf y=\paren{\sequence {y_i}_{1\le i\le N} }$ is an N-dimensional real vector.

Let $\map {\mathbf y} x$ correspond to the minimum of $J$.

Let the $N\times N$ matrix $\mathbf P=F_{y_i'y_j'}$ be positive definite along $\map {\mathbf y} x$.

Then the open interval $\openint a b$ contains no points conjugate to $a$.

Proof
By Necessary Condition for Twice Differentiable N Function dependent Functional to have Minimum, $J$ is minimised by $y=\map {\mathbf{\hat y} } x$ if


 * $\displaystyle\delta^2 J\sqbrk{\mathbf{\hat y};\mathbf h}\ge 0$

for all admissable real functions $\mathbf h$.

By lemma 1 of Legendre's Condition,


 * $\displaystyle\delta^2 J\sqbrk{\mathbf y;\mathbf h}=\int_a^b\paren{\mathbf h'\mathbf P\mathbf h'+\mathbf h\mathbf Q\mathbf h}\rd x$

where


 * $\mathbf P=F_{y_i'y_j'}$

By Nonnegative Quadratic N function dependent Functional implies no Interior Conjugate Points, $\openint a b$ does not contain any conjugate points $J$.