Euler's ``harmony between the principles of ``rest and ``least action. The conceptual making of analytical mechanics

DOI10.1007/S004070050034MaRDI QIDQ1293451zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Penha Maria Cardoso Dias

Publication date 21 June 2000

Published in Archive for History of Exact Sciences (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1007/s004070050034

zbMATH Keywords

analytical mechanicsMaupertuisprinciples of mechanics

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

History of mathematics in the 18th century (01A50)

Review text

In a paper of 1751 presented to the Academy of Berlin, Euler claimed to have established harmony between the quantity of a body that is denoted by the French word \textit{effort}, and its kinetic energy (\textit{force vive}). The mechanical principles invoked by Euler in order to prove this harmony, are the principle of rest and the principle of least action, which had been stated some years earlier by Maupertuis. By bringing the two principles into harmony, Euler shows that there is a relation between action and effect, so that the former is a minimum whenever the latter is a maximum, and vice-versa. According to the author, Euler's proof of harmony between Maupertuis' two principles discloses the physical foundations of analytical mechanics.

Recommendations

• De la nature épargnante aux forces généreuses : le principe de moindre action entre mathématiques et métaphysique. Maupertuis et Euler, 1740-1751/From nature that economizes to generous forces : the principle of least action between mathematics and m
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 44883
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3882380
• Physics and analysis. Euler and the search for fundamental principles of mechanics

Cited in

(4)

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3882380 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 44883 (Why is no real title available?)
• De la nature épargnante aux forces généreuses : le principe de moindre action entre mathématiques et métaphysique. Maupertuis et Euler, 1740-1751/From nature that economizes to generous forces : the principle of least action between mathematics and metaphysics, Maupertuis and Euler, 1740-1751
• Physics and analysis. Euler and the search for fundamental principles of mechanics

This page was built for publication: Euler's ``harmony between the principles of ``rest and ``least action. The conceptual making of analytical mechanics

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q1293451)