M6800 Calculus of Variations

Faculty of Science
Spring 2010
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (fasci plus compl plus > 4). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. RNDr. Roman Šimon Hilscher, DSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Roman Šimon Hilscher, DSc.
Department of Mathematics and Statistics – Departments – Faculty of Science
Timetable
Wed 10:00–11:50 MS2,01022
Prerequisites
Differential and integral calculus of functions of one and several variables, linear algebra.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 15 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
Elementary course in calculus of variations. The content copies the classical differential calculus of functions in infinite dimension. Students will undestand necessary and sufficient conditions for (weak) extrema in such problems and applications. The student will be able to analyze and solve simple and, with the aid of the literature more involved, calculus of variations problems, as well as undestand the differences with the classical calculus of functions of one (or several) variables. The student will understand the historical background of the calculus of variations.
Syllabus
  • Functional
  • Simple variational problems
  • Function spaces
  • Variation of a functional
  • Necessary conditions for an extremum
  • Euler's equation
  • Fixed and variable endpoints
  • Second variation
  • Sufficient conditions for an extremum
  • Discrete calculus of variations
Literature
  • GEL'FAND, Izrail Moisejevič and Sergej Vasil'jevič FOMIN. Calculus of variations. Edited by Richard A. Silverman. Mineola, N. Y.: Dover Publications, 2000, vii, 232 s. ISBN 0-486-41448-5. info
  • A history of analysis. Edited by Hans Niels Jahnke. Providence: American Mathematical Society, 2003, ix, 422 s. ISBN 0-8218-2623-9. info
  • MORSE, Marston. The calculus of variations in the large. New York: American Mathematical Society, 1934, ix, 368 s. ISBN 0-8218-1018-9. info
Teaching methods
Lectures about the theory with illustrative solved problems.
Assessment methods
Two-hour written final exam with oral evaluation of the exam with each student.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2008 - for the purpose of the accreditation, Spring 2004, Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2012, Spring 2014, Spring 2016, spring 2018, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2010, recent)
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