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Concept information

Preferred term

variational calculus  

Definition

  • The calculus of variations (or Variational Calculus) is a field of mathematical analysis that uses variations, which are small changes in functions and functionals, to find maxima and minima of functionals: mappings from a set of functions to the real numbers. Functionals are often expressed as definite integrals involving functions and their derivatives. Functions that maximize or minimize functionals may be found using the Euler–Lagrange equation of the calculus of variations. (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculus_of_variations)

Broader concept

Synonym(s)

  • calculus of variations
  • variational calculation
  • variational method
  • variational technique

In other languages

  • French

  • calcul des variations
  • méthode variationnelle
  • technique variationnelle

URI

http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/MDL-S0G4HZN2-7

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