On the conditions under which the Euler equation or the maximum principle hold (Q2266222): Difference between revisions

The authors consider the problem of minimizing the functional \(\int^{1}_{0}L(t,x(t),\dot x(t))dt\) over the absolutely continuous functions \(x: [0,1]\to {\mathbb{R}}\) satisfying \(x(0)=0\), \(x(1)=k\) \((k>0)\). If L is given by \(r=(2k/3)^{12}(1-k^ 3)(13k^ 3-7)\), then the following theorem is valid: for k sufficiently near but less than 1, the arc \(\hat x(\)t)\(=kt^{2/3}\), \(t\in [0,1]\), is the unique solution to the problem defined above. However, \(\hat x\) does not satisfy the Euler equation in integrated form (this example has been considered by \textit{J. M. Ball} and \textit{V. J. Mizel} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc., New Ser. 11, 143-146 (1984; Zbl 0541.49010)]).