The Principle of Least Action

David Friedenberg

1 Derivation
The Principle of Least Action states that if a certain quantity, A is minimized,
the Laws of Motion of a system can be derived from it. More generally, the
quantity Z t1
A= L(q(t), q 0 (t), t) dt
t0

can where L is a function of a trajectory q(t) and it’s derivatives, can be mini-
mized.
In order to analyze how the Action changes for a small change in trajectory, we
define the transformations

δq = η(t) δq 0 = η 0 (t)

η(t1 ) = η(t0 ) 6= 0 η(t) = 0

Z t1
A= L(q + η(t), q 0 + η 0 (t), t) dt
t0

When mathcalA is at a minimum, a change in the trajectories will have no

effect on the Action or
Z t1
∂A ∂
= (L(q + η(t), q 0 + η 0 (t), t)) dt
∂ t0 ∂

According to the chain rule of derivatives applied to a multivariable function,

Z t1
∂A ∂L ∂q ∂L ∂q 0 ∂L ∂t
= + 0 + dt = 0
∂ t0 ∂q ∂ ∂q ∂ ∂t ∂

∂q ∂q 0 ∂t
= η(t) = η 0 (t) =0
∂ ∂ ∂
Z t1
∂A ∂L ∂L
= η(t) + 0 η 0 (t) dt = 0
∂ t0 ∂q ∂q
Using integration by parts,
Z t1  t1 Z t1  
∂L 0 ∂L d ∂L
0
η (t) dt = η(t) − η(t) dt
t0 ∂q ∂q 0 t0 t0 dt ∂q 0

1
Since η(t1 ) = η(t0 ) = 0
Z t1 Z t1  
∂L 0 d ∂L
η (t) dt = − η(t) dt
t0 ∂q 0 t0 dt ∂q 0
Z t1    
∂A ∂L d ∂L
= η(t) + − η(t) dt = 0
∂ t0 ∂q dt ∂q 0
Z t1   
∂A ∂L d ∂L
= η(t) − dt = 0
∂ t0 ∂q dt ∂q 0
Since η(t) 6= 0  
∂L d ∂L
− =0
∂q dt ∂q 0
This is called the Euler-Lagrange Equation.

2 Applications
The measurement of the arc length, S, of a curve y(x) is given by
Z x1 p
S= 1 − (y 0 )2 dx
x0

Using the Principle of Least Action we can minimize the arc length between
two arbitrary points by using the Euler-Lagrange Equation,
 
∂S d ∂S
− =0
∂y dx ∂y 0
!
d y0
0− −p =0
dx 1 − (y 0 )2
!
y0
Z Z
d
−p dx = 0 dx
dx 1 − (y 0 )2
y0
p = C, C ∈ R
1 − (y 0 )2
p
y 0 = C 1 − (y 0 )2
y 02 = C 2 1 − (y 0 )2

y 02 + C 2 y 02 = C 2
y 02 1 + C 2 = C 2

C
y0 = √
1 − C2

2
If we define A = √ C ,
1−C 2
y0 = A
y = Ax + B, A, B ∈ R
Therefore proving that the shortest distance between two arbitrary points (min-
imized arc length) is achieved with a line.