14
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
mLine 1:
Line 1: − + + + + +
This edit consists of the addition of some general information.
The '''Lagrangian''' of a physical system is defined to be
The '''Lagrangian''' of a dynamical system is a function used to describe the dynamics of that system. In classical mechanics, the general definition of the Lagrangian is a function used to describe the difference between the kinetic and potential energies of a dynamical system:
<math>L=T-V</math>
<math>L=T-V</math>
where <math>T</math> is the [[kinetic energy]] and <math>V</math> is the [[potential energy]].
where <math>T</math> is the [[kinetic energy]] and <math>V</math> is the [[potential energy]].
The Lagrangian of a system can be used in the [[Euler-Lagrange equation]] in order to derive the equations of motion for the system.
The general idea behind the Lagrangian is to divorce the dynamical system from any specific coordinate system.
== See Also ==
== See Also ==