Extending the Euler-Lagrange

Equation
To 3D Geometry
Outline
1. Recap
2. Helping You With Calculus
3. Formulating the distance between two points on a
curved surface
4. Geodesics
5. Other Applications
1. Straight Line (Shortest Path between two points)
2. Parabola (Because, why not?)
3. Hyperbolic Cosine (Because Minimum Potential)
4. Something else???
Recap
Helping You With Calculus
Formulating the distance
between two points on a
curved surface
.
Geodesics
Applications
Gravitational Lensing
Robotics
Molecular Biology
Supply Chain Management
Network Design
Gravitational Lensing

Gravity warps the fabric of spacetime, and light

traveling through this warped space follows a
curved path. This leads to an effect called
gravitational lensing, where the image of a distant
object is distorted by the gravitational field of a
massive object (such as a galaxy or black hole)
located between the observer and the source.
Robotics

The concept of shortest path is used in robotics to

plan the movements of robots and to control their
motion. This involves computing optimal paths and
trajectories, avoiding obstacles and collisions, and
maintaining stability and balance. Further used in
computer vision to define paths or contours on
images that minimize certain energy functions, such
as the length or area of the path. This is useful for a
wide range of applications, such as image
segmentation, object recognition, and medical
imaging.
Molecular Biology

Geodesics are used in biology to study the shape

and structure of biological molecules, such as DNA
and proteins. This involves using geodesic
techniques to analyze and model the geometry and
topology of molecular structures, and to
understand their function and behavior. Also used
in material science to study the properties of
surfaces and interfaces. In particular, the geodesic
curvature of a surface measures the deviation of
the surface from a planar shape
Supply Chain Management

To optimize the flow of goods and services between

suppliers, manufacturers, and customers. This
involves minimizing transportation costs, reducing
inventory levels, and improving delivery times and
customer satisfaction.
Network Design

Designing the optimal layout of communication

networks, transportation networks, or power grids.
This involves minimizing the length of cables or
transmission lines, maximizing connectivity and
reliability, and balancing capacity and cost
constraints.