1

Euler-Lagrange Equations for charged particle in a field

The Lagrangian is
1 2
L = mṙ + q(A · ṙ − φ)
2
Euler Lagrange Equations are
d ∂L ∂L
= ,
dt ∂ ṙ ∂r
so calculate left and right hand sides separately:

∂L ∂ ∂φ
= q (A · ṙ) − q
∂r ∂r ∂r
d ∂L d
= mr̈ + q A
dt ∂ ṙ dt
Now recall A is the vector potential evaluated at the position of the particle r at time t. The
particle is following a trajectory r(t), so A = A(r(t), t). The total time derivative thus gives two
terms,
d ∂A ∂r ∂
A = + · A,
dt ∂t ∂t ∂r
or, to be completely clear, for a given component Ai ,
d ∂Ai ∂rj ∂
Ai = + · Ai ,
dt ∂t ∂t ∂rj
where a sum over repeated indices is implied. So, putting the Euler-Lagrange equation together for
index i gives
à !
∂ ∂Ai ∂Aj ∂Ai
mr̈i = −q φ−q +q − ṙj
∂ri ∂t ∂ri ∂rj
= q (E + ṙ × B)i ,
which is the ith component of the Lorentz force. To convince yourself that the last term in paren-
theses really turns into the ṙ × B term, evaluate
∂
(ṙ × B) = (ṙ × (∇ × A))i = ²ijk ṙj (∇ × A)k = ²ijk ṙj ²k`m Am
∂r`
∂
= (δi` δkm − δim δk` )ṙj Am
∂r`
à !
∂ ∂ ∂Aj ∂Ai
= ṙj Aj − ṙj Ai = − ṙj QED
∂ri ∂rj ∂ri ∂rj
(I used the cyclic property of the Levi-Civita symbol ²ijk = ²jki = ²kij , and the identity ²ijk ²i`m =
δj` δkm − δjm δk` .)