Title: Variational Problems and How to Solve Them.
Speaker: Nathan Hayford.
Date: Thursday, February $6^{th}$
Time: 11:00am
Place: CIS 1023
Abstract: Many problems in math and physics arise as problems of
extremizing some functional. Such problems include the isoperimetric
problem, minimal surface problem, and the formulation of Lagrangian
mechanics. We shall discuss the calculus of variations, and provide
worked out examples of how these techniques may be applied to solve such
problems. We will also discuss how such techniques may be applied to
write Lagrangian formulations of theories like electromagnetism and
general relativity, if time permits.