On the validity of the Euler-Lagrange equation (Q6233724): Difference between revisions

The authors deal with the variational problem \[ J(x)=\int^b_aL\bigl (t,x(t),x'(t)\bigr)\,dt\to\min\quad \bigl(x(a)=A,x(b)=B\bigr) \] in the space \(M\) of absolutely continuous vector-valued functions \(x(t)\in \mathbb{R}^n\) \((a\leq t\leq b)\). Let \(\widehat x(t)\) be a local weak minimizer. Assumptions: (i) \(\nabla_xL(.,\widehat x(.),\widehat x'(.))\) exists a.e and is integrable, (ii) the inequality \[ L\bigl(t,y,\widehat x'(t)\bigr)\leq L\bigl(t, \widehat x(t),\widehat x'(t)\bigr)+S(t)\bigl\|y-\widehat x(t)\bigr\|,\quad a\leq t\leq b, \] holds true with appropriate integrable function \(S\), (iii) \(L(t,x,\xi)\) is differentiable in \(\xi\), (iv) both \(L\) and \(\nabla_\xi L\) satisfy the Carathéodory condition. Result: the function \(\nabla_\xi L(t,\widehat x(t), \widehat x'(t))\) is absolutely continuous, consequently \(\widehat x(t)\) satisfies the classical Euler-Lagrange system.