Definition:Calculus of Variations/Historical Note

Historical Note on Calculus of Variations
Some sources suggest that, in a sense, the earliest problem in the calculus of variations arose in one of the legends of the founding of ; the city was granted as much land as could be enclosed by a given length.

The calculus of variations emerged as a branch of mathematics as a result of investigations into the cycloid in the $18$th century.

The first systematic investigation of the topic was given by in his earliest and most important works, together with, who coined the term in $1766$.

ushered in a new era of precise reasoning with his lectures in $1879$ on the subject.

One of his students,, took on the subject and developed the Chicago school of the calculus of variations.