CALCULUS OF VARIATIONS

ASSIGNMENT-1
CSIR-NET DEC-2022/JUNE-2023 [Total Weightage = 3 + 2(4.75) = 12.5 Marks]

[PART-B ( 3 Marks) (MCQ)]

Q.1 Consider the variation problem (P)
1

∫0
J(y(x)) = [(y′)2 − y | y | y′ + xy]d x, y(0) = 0, y(1) = 0.

Which of the following statements is correct?

(A.) (P) has no stationary function (extremal).

(B.) y ≡ 0 is the only stationary function (extremal) for (P).

(C.) (P) has a unique stationary function (extremal) y not identically equal to 0.

(D.) (P) has infinitely many stationary functions (extremal).

[PART-C ( 4.75 Marks) (MSQ)]

Q.2 Let y(x) and z(x) be the stationary functions (extremals) of the variational problem
1

∫0
J(y(x), z(x)) = [(y′)2 + (z′)2 + y′z′] d x

subject to y(0) = 1, y(1) = 0, z(0) = − 1, z(1) = 2. Which of the following statements

are correct?

(A.) z(x) + 3y(x) = 2 for x ∈ [0,1] .

(B.) 3z(x) + y(x) = 2 for x ∈ [0,1] .

(C.) y(x) + z(x) = 2x for x ∈ [0,1] .

(D.) y(x) + z(x) = x for x ∈ [0,1] .

By Simran Thapar







 [PART-C ( 4.75 Marks) (MSQ)]

Q.3 Suppose y(x) is an extremal of the following functional

0

∫1
J(y(x)) = [(y(x))2 − 4y(x)y′(x) + 4(y′(x))2] d x

1
subject to y(0) = 1 and y′(0) = . Which of the following statements are true?
2
(A.) y is a convex function.

(B.) y is a concave function.

(C.) y(x1 + x2) = y(x1)y(x2) ∀x1, x2 in [0,1] .

(D.) y(x1x2) = y(x1) + y(x2) ∀ x1, x2 in [0,1] .

Answers

Q.1 (C.)
Q.2 (A.), (C.)
Q.3 (A.), (C.)

By Simran Thapar