Direct and inverse variational problems on time scales: A survey

Abstract

We deal with direct and inverse problems of the calculus of variations on arbitrary time scales. Firstly, using the Euler–Lagrange equation and the strengthened Legendre condition, we give a general form for a variational functional to attain a local minimum at a given point of the vector space. Furthermore, we provide a necessary condition for a dynamic integro-differential equation to be an Euler–Lagrange equation (Helmholtz’s problem of the calculus of variations on time scales). New and interesting results for the discrete and quantum settings are obtained as particular cases. Finally, we consider very general problems of the calculus of variations given by the composition of a certain scalar function with delta and nabla integrals of a vector valued field. © 2017, Springer International Publishing AG.