Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Ancheta Wis (talk | contribs) at 02:32, 31 January 2005 (→External links and references: Wolfram). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

A variational principle is a principle in physics which is expressed in terms of the calculus of variations.

Examples

• Fermat's principle in geometrical optics
• The principle of least action in mechanics, electromagnetic theory, and quantum mechanics, where the dimension is action.

Further readings

• Epstein S T 1974 "The Variation Method in Quantum Chemistry". (New York: Academic)
• Nesbet R K 2003 "Variational Principles and Methods In Theoretical Physics and Chemistry". (New York: Cambridge U.P.)
• Adhikari S K 1998 "Variational Principles for the Numerical Solution of Scattering Problems". (New York: Wiley)
• Gray C G, Karl G and Novikov V A 1996 Ann. Phys. 251 1.

See also

• Action principle

External links and references

• Cornelius Lanczos, The Variational Principles of Mechanics
• Stephen Wolfram, A New Kind of Science p. 1052
• Gray, C.G., G. Karl, and V. A. Novikov, "Progress in Classical and Quantum Variational Principles". 11 Dec 2003. physics/0312071 Classical Physics.
• Venables, John, "The Variational Principle and some applications". Dept of Physics and Astronomy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (Graduate Course: Quantum Physics)
• Williamson, Andrew James, "The Variational Principle -- Quantum monte carlo calculations of electronic excitations". Robinson College, Cambridge, Theory of Condensed Matter Group, Cavendish Laboratory. September 1996. (dissertation of Doctor of Philosophy)
• Tokunaga, Kiyohisa, "Variational Principle for Electromagnetic Field". Total Integral for Electromagnetic Canonical Action, Part Two, Relativistic Canonical Theory of Electromagnetics, Chapter VI

• Theoretical physics
• Calculus of variations