All Questions
4
questions
5
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Is Principle of Least Action a first principle? [closed]
It is on the basis of Principle of Least Action, that Lagrangian mechanics is built upon, and is responsible for light travelling in a straight line.
Is its the classical equivalent of Schrodinger's ...
1
vote
1
answer
175
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Fermat's principle in classical mechanics?
I do know the principle of least action, but is it possible to formulate classical mechanics based on the principle of least time? That is, if we know the initial state $(x_i,p_i)$ of the particle and ...
- 735
18
votes
7
answers
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When/why does the principle of least action plus boundary conditions not uniquely specify a path?
A few months ago I was telling high school students about Fermat's principle.
You can use it to show that light reflects off a surface at equal angles. To set it up, you put in boundary conditions, ...
- 103k
3
votes
1
answer
924
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Origins of the principle of least time in classical mechanics
Is it possible to derive the principle of least time from the principle of least action in lagrangian or hamiltonian mechanics? Or is Fermat's principle more fundamental than the principle of least ...
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