16.

21 Techniques of Structural Analysis and

Design
Spring 2005
Unit #9 - Calculus of Variations
Ra ul Radovitzky
March 28, 2005
Let u be the actual conguration of a structure or mechanical system. u
satises the displacement boundary conditions: u = u

on S
u
. Dene:
u = u + v, where:
: scalar
v : arbitrary function such that v = 0 on S
u
We are going to dene v as u, the rst variation of u:
u = v (1)
Schematically:
u1
u2
u
a b
u(a)
u(b)
v
1


As a rst property of the rst variation :
d u du dv
= +
dx dx

dx

so we can identify
dv
dx
with the rst variation of the derivative of u:

du

dv
=
dx dx
But:
dv dv d

dx
=
dx
=
dx
(u)
We conclude that:
du d
= (u)
dx dx
Consider a function of the following form:
F = F(x, u(x), u

(x))
It depends on an independent variable x, another function of x (u(x)) and its
derivative (u

(x)). Consider the change in F, when u (therefore u

) changes:
F = F(x, u + u, u

+ u

) F(x, u, u

)
= F(x, u + v, u

+ v

) F(x, u, u

)
expanding in Taylor series:
F F 1
2
F 1
2
F
F = F + v + v

+
u
2
(v)
2
+ (v)(v

) + F
u u

2! 2! uu

F F
= v + v

+ h.o.t.
u u

First total variation of F:

F
F = lim
0

F(x, u + v, u

+ v

) F(x, u, u

= lim
0

F
v +
F
v

F F
= lim
u u

= v + v

0
u u

F F
F = u + u

u u

Note that:
dF (x, u + v, u

+ v

)
F =
d =0
since:
dF (x, u + v, u

+ v

) F(x, u + v, u

+ v

)
=
d u
evaluated at = 0
F(x, u + v, u

+ v

)
v + v

dF (x, u + v, u

+ v

)
=
F(x, u, u

)
v +
F(x, u, u

)
v
d =0 u u

Note analogy with dierential calculus.

(aF
1
+ bF
2
) = aF
1
+ bF
2
linearity
(F
1
F
2
) = F
1
F
2
+ F
1
F
2
etc
The conclusions for F(x, u, u

) can be generalized to functions of several

u
i
independent variables x
i
and functions u
i
,
x
j
:
F x
i
, u
i
,
u
i
x
j
We will be making intensive use of these properties of the variational operator
:
d d dv du
(u) = (v) = =
dx dx dx dx
udx = vdx = vdx = udx
Concept of a functional
b
F(x, u(x), u

(x))dx I(u) =
a
3

First variation of a functional:

I = F(x, u(x), u

(x))dx

= F(x, u(x), u

(x)) dx
F F
I = u + u

dx
u u

Extremum of a functional
u
0
is the minumum of a functional if:
I(u) I(u
0
)u
A necessary condition for a functional to attain an extremum at u
0
is:
dI
I(u
0
) = 0, or (u
0
+ v, u
0

+ v

= 0
d =0
Note analogy with dierential calculus. Also dierence since here we require
dF
= 0 at = 0.
d

b
F F
I = u + u

dx
u u

a
Integrate by parts the second term to get rid of u

b
F d F d F
I = u + u u dx
u dx u

dx u

b
F

b
F d F
= udx + u
u

dx u

a
a
Require u to satisfy homogeneous displacement boundary conditions:
u(b) = u(a) = 0
Then:

b
F d F
I = udx = 0,
u

dx u

a
4

u that satisfy the appropriate dierentiability conditions and the homoge-
neous essential boundary conditions. Then:
F d F
= 0
u

dx u

These are the Euler-Lagrange equations corresponding to the variational

problem of nding an extremum of the functional I.
Natural and essential boundary conditions A weaker condition on
u also allows to obtain the Euler equations, we just need:
F
b
u = 0
u

a
which is satised if:
u(a) = 0 and u(b) = 0 as before
u(b) = 0 and
F
(b) = 0
u

F

(a) = 0 and u(b) = 0

F
(a) = 0 and
F
(b) = 0
u

Essential boundary conditions: u = 0, or u = u

0
on S
u
Su
Natural boundary conditions:
F
= 0 on S.
u

Example: Derive Eulers equation corresponding to the total po-

tential energy functional = U + V of an elastic bar of length L, Youngs
modulus E, area of cross section A xed at one end and subject to a load P
at the other end.

L
EA du

2
(u) = dx Pu(L)
2 dx
0
Compute the rst variation:
EA du du
= 2 dx Pu(L)
2

dx dx
5

Integrate by parts

d du d du
= EA u EA u dx Pu(L)
dx dx

dx dx

L
du

L
d du
= u EA dx + EA u
0
Pu(L)
0
dx dx dx
Setting = 0, u / u(0) = 0:
d du
EA = 0
dx dx
du

P = EA
dx L
Extension to more dimensions
I = F(x
i
, u
i
, u
i,j
)dV

F F
I = u
i
+ u
i,j
dV
V
u
i
u
i,j

F F F
= u
i
+ u
i
u
i
dV
V
u
i
x
j
u
i,j

x
j
u
i,j
Using divergence theorem:
F F F
I = u
i
dV + u
i
n
j
dS
V
u
i

x
j
u
i,j S
u
i,j
Extremum of functional I is obtained when I = 0, or when:
F F
= 0 , and
u
i

x
j
u
i,j
u
i
= 0 on S
u
F
u
i,j
n
j
onS S
u
= S
t
The boxed expressions constitute the Euler-Lagrange equations correspond-
ing to the variational problem of nding an extremum of the functional I.
6