Biró Tamás Sándor's

(http://www.rmki.kfki.hu/~tsbiro, tsbiro@sunserv.kfki.hu)

           

    Variational Principles in Physics

           

Abstract:

1. Brief history of variational princples in physics
2. Mechanics
   • principle of virtual work
   • D'Alambert's principle
   • the action principle (Hamilton)
   • Gauss' principle
   • Lagrange method
   • Maupertuis' principle
3. Optics and electrodynamics
   • Fermat's principle
   • electrostatics (Gauss' law)
   • magnetostatics (Ampére's law)
   • electrodynamics (Faraday and Maxwell)
   • waves (Lorentz gauge)
   • quaternion formalism
4. Gravity
   • spacetime
   • Newtonian gravity
   • gravitational fields
   • Einstein-Hilbert action
5. Thermodynamics
   • entropy and temperature
   • free energy
   • thermodynamical potentials
   • principle of least entropy production
6. Elementary quantummechanics
   • Schrödinger equation from variation
   • Ritz's principle
   • Hartree and Fock
   • Time dependent variational methods