leastaction
The principle of least action is a fundamental concept in physics that states that the path taken by a physical system between two configurations is the one that minimizes a quantity called the action. The action is a mathematical function that depends on the system's state and how it changes over time. It is often defined as the integral of the Lagrangian over time. The Lagrangian itself is typically the difference between the kinetic and potential energy of the system.
This principle can be applied to a wide range of physical phenomena, from the motion of a
The principle of least action is a powerful variational principle. Instead of focusing on forces acting at
The concept is closely related to Noether's theorem, which establishes a connection between symmetries of the