Variational formulation of approximate symmetries and conservation laws (Q5947387)

\textit{T. Feroze} and \textit{A. H. Kara} [Int. J. Non-Linear Mech. 37, No. 2, 275--280 (2002)] have shown that the procedure to construct Lagrangians for differential equations, using approximate symmetries and associated conservation laws along with Noether's theorem, can be extended to ordinary differential equations with a small parameter. In the paper under review, the authors extend the procedure to perturbed partial differential equations. They show how the conserved vectors and associated approximate Lie symmetry generators of a partial differential equation with a small parameter can be utilized to construct approximate Noether symmetries and hence, new associated conservation laws. The theory is applied to a number of perturbations of the wave equation.