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### Why isn't the Euler-Lagrange equation trivial?

The Euler-Lagrange equation gives the equations of motion of a system with Lagrangian $L$. Let $q^\alpha$ represent the generalized coordinates of a configuration manifold, $t$ represent time. The ...
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### On a trick to derive the Noether current

Suppose, in whatever dimension and theory, the action $S$ is invariant for a global symmetry with a continuous parameter $\epsilon$. The trick to get the Noether current consists in making the ...
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### When can we add a total time derivative of $f(q, \dot{q}, t)$ to a Lagrangian?

The other day, I was listening to this lecture on the Lagrangian for a charged particle in an electromagnetic field, and at one point in the video, the lecturer mentions that we can add any total time ...
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### What variables does the action $S$ depend on?

Action is defined as, $$S ~=~ \int L(q, q', t) dt,$$ but my question is what variables does $S$ depend on? Is $S = S(q, t)$ or $S = S(q, q', t)$ where $q' := \frac{dq}{dt}$? In Wikipedia I've ...
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### How to determine the Lagrangian's "true" explicit dependence on time?

If your Lagrangian satisfies $$\frac{\partial \mathcal L}{\partial t} = 0$$ then you're happy, energy is conserved, etc. However, if the above doesn't hold, that doesn't necessarily mean energy ...
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### Is the path of stationary action unique? What are the physical implications of $L_{\dot{x}}=L_x$

Below, for any function $Q$ the notation $Q_x$ means $\frac{\partial Q}{\partial x}$, and $Q_{xx}$ means $\frac{\partial^2 Q}{\partial x^2}$. In physics, the trajectory of a particle is given by the ...
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I am studying Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics and i am using Landau & Lifshitz and Goldstein books. Both of them state that a modified lagrangian $$L'=L+\frac{df}{dt}$$ gives the same ...