相关论文: Metaphysics of the Principle of Least Action

Some interpretations of quantum mechanics use notions of possible states and possible trajectories. I investigate how this modal approach correlates with several metaphysical conceptions of a transition from potential to actual existence.…

The least action principle occupies a central part in contemporary physics. Yet, as far as classical field theory is concerned, it may not be as essential as generally thought. We show with three detailed examples of classical interacting…

In this paper, we show that the difficulties of interpretation of the principle of least action concerning "final causes" or "efficient causes" are due to the existence of two different actions, the "Euler-Lagrange action" (or classical…

The Great Divide in metaphysical debates about laws of nature is between Humeans, who think that laws merely describe the distribution of matter, and non-Humeans, who think that laws govern it. The metaphysics can place demands on the…

In this paper, I consider the issue of how two mathematical models of modern physics, the variational principles and the quantum path integral formalism, relate to reality. I assume that the observed phenomena are consistent with the…

The principle of least action provides a holistic worldview in which nature in its entirety and every detail is pictured in terms of actions. Each and every action is ultimately composed of one or multiples of the most elementary action…

The principle of least action is arguably the most fundamental principle in physics as it can be used to derive the equations of motion in various branches of physics. However, this principle has not been experimentally demonstrated at the…

The principle of least action seems not to lead to equations describing the motion consistent with the physical behaviour, for non-holonomic constraints. Here, a response is proposed for this fundamental problem in Mathematical Physics.…

A least action principle for damping motion has been previously proposed with a Hamiltonian and a Lagrangian containing the energy dissipated by friction. Due to the space-time nonlocality of the Lagrangian, mathematical uncertainties…

The Principle of Least Action has evolved and established itself as the most basic law of physics. This allows us to see how this fundamental law of nature determines the development of the system towards states with less action, i.e.,…

This short note is devoted to non-proficient in physics. Its purpose is that of proposing a possible universal connection between the definition of Action given by Goethe in his ``Faust'' tragic play and the Hamilton's Principle of the…

In physics, there is a scalar function called the action which behaves like a cost function. When minimized, it yields the "path of least action" which represents the path a physical system will take through space and time. This function is…

This paper elaborates on relationalism about space and time as motivated by a minimalist ontology of the physical world: there are only matter points that are individuated by the distance relations among them, with these relations changing.…

We review some techniques from non-linear analysis in order to investigate critical paths for the action functional in the calculus of variations applied to physics. Previous attempts to analyse when these are minima ex- ist, but mainly…

Formulating the equations of motion for cosmological bodies (such as galaxies) in an integral, rather than differential, form has several advantages. Using an integral the mathematical instability at early times is avoided and the boundary…

The least action principle, through its variational formulation, possesses a finalist aspect. It explicitly appears in the fractional calculus framework, where Euler-Lagrange equations obtained so far violate the causality principle. In…

The Hamilton action principle, also known as the principle of least action, and Lagrange equations are an integral part of advanced undergraduate mechanics. At present, substantial efforts are ongoing to suitably incorporate the action…

This work is an analytical calculation of the path probability for random dynamics of mechanical system described by Langevin equation with Gaussian noise. The result shows an exponential dependence of the probability on the action. In the…

A generalized canonical form of action of dynamic theories with higher derivatives is proposed, which does not require the introduction of additional dynamic variables. This form is the initial point for the construction of quantum theory,…

The pros and cons of various forms of atomism and holism that are applicable both in physical science and today's philosophy of nature are evaluated. To this end, Lewis' thesis of Humean supervenience is presented as an important case study…