M2A1: A reduced form of the Euler-Lagrange equation

We have proved in the lectures that the Euler-Lagrange equation takes the form
d
fy − fy0 = 0. (1)
dx
For any arbitrary function1 F = F (x, y(x), y 0 (x)), the variable x appears in three
places; in the first position explicitly, and in the second and third positions implicitly.
From the chain rule, we have
∂F ∂F ∂F
δF = δx + δy + 0 δy 0 . (2)
∂x ∂y ∂y
Dividing by δx and taking the limit δx → 0, we therefore conclude that the derivative
d
operation dx
means
dF ∂F ∂F ∂F
= + y0 + y 00 0 . (3)
dx ∂x ∂y ∂y
∂f
Using the subscript notation fx = ∂x
, etc, the EL-equation (1) can be rewritten in
a very important alternative form
d
fx + (y 0 fy0 − f ) = 0. (4)
dx
Proof: Form the combination in (4)
d d
fx + (y 0 fy0 − f ) = fx + y 00 fy0 + y 0 fy0 − (fx + y 0 fy + y 00 fy0 )
dx dx
!
d
= y0 fy0 − fy = 0. (5)
dx

In two special cases, we can integrate the Euler-Lagrange equation to obtain a more
amenable form:

1. If f = f (x, y, y 0 ) has x missing explicitly so f = f (y, y 0 ) then fx = 0 and we

can integrate (4) to get
y 0 fy0 − f = constant. (6)

2. If f = f (x, y, y 0 ) has y missing explicitly so f = f (x, y 0 ) then fy = 0 and we

can integrate (1) to get
fy0 = constant. (7)

1 d
I’m using F and not f because the the derivative dx in (1) operates on fy0 .