No label defined (Q3978893)

[For the entire collection see Zbl 0733.00012.] The author deals with the following problem: given data \((t_ j,x_ j)\), for \(j=1,\dots,n\), \(n\geq 2\), with \(a=t_ 1<t_ 2<\dots<t_ n=b\), a function \(x\) in the Sobolev space \(W^ 2_ 2[a,b]\) is to be determined such that \(x(t_ j)=x_ j\) holds for all \(j\) and which minimizes --- if parametrized with respect to arc length \(s\) --- the energy \(f(x)=\int_ 0^ \ell \kappa^ 2(s)ds\) subject to the non- negativity constraint \(x(s)\geq0\), where \(\kappa\) is the curvature of \(x\) and \(\ell\) the length of the curve described by \(x\). It is explained how necessary optimality conditions for this problem can be formulated in terms of systems of differential equations.