The Principle of Least Action

The Principle of Least Action

What's so interesting about this lazy-sounding topic anyway? It is another way of looking at physics that, while ultimately equivalent to the usual approach (for example Newton's laws of motion), uses a completely different route to problem solving. In many cases this approach is much better (i.e. easier), thus living up to its lazy moniker after all!

It involves looking at initial and final states and understanding why, out of all the possible ways to get from one to the other, only one path is actually followed. Why does a projectile follow a parabolic trajectory rather than some other curved path? Come to this presentation to find out!

This presentation is inspired by The Feynman Lectures on Physics vol II, chp 19 and will cover some of that material in a rather plagiaristic way (which I think would make Professor Feynman smile and beat a happy rhythm on his drums if he knew his lectures were still inspiring seekers of knowledge)! He was first taught about this after class by his high school physics teacher, Mr. Bader, when he looked bored by the usual curriculum. Feynman found it to be "absolutely fascinating". I think this may have been key to Feynman's future as an amazing physicist!

We owe Mr. Bader (and other similarly talented teachers) an enormous debt of gratitude!